According to a progress report published today, the Cabinet Office said that the amount of business going to SMEs across central government is on track to double from 6.7 percent to 13.7 percent by 5 April.

However, the increase is not as significant as it first sounds, as this is still a far cry from of government business. Furthermore, the Cabinet Office just last month revealed that it had at the Intellect Annual Regent Conference.

Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said: "Today, we have shown that the measures we introduced a year ago are making a difference.

"Successful SMEs are crucial to the future of this country and can save taxpayers' money with innovative new ideas. We will now go further. We are determined to shake up public buying so radically that there is no turning back to old days of SMEs being shut out."

Making subcontracting opportunities more transparent to SMEs is one of the initiatives that Maude announced today. The government said that nine large companies - including HP, Balfour Beatty, Capgemini, Capita, Logica and Serco - have become the first to sign up to publish their government subcontracting opportunities on its Contracts Finder website.