Buy British is not enough: why public sector tech companies still need better marketing
The Chancellor’s reported push to “buy British” in strategically important sectors reflects a wider shift towards resilience, domestic capability and economic security. For British technology and services companies, that should sound encouraging.
But it is not enough on its own.
Public sector buyers do not choose suppliers simply because they are British. They choose suppliers they trust. They need evidence, clarity, credibility, and reassurance that a company can deliver to the required standard, at the required scale, and under the required scrutiny.
That is where marketing matters more than many businesses realise.
A large market, but not an easy one
The public sector technology market is substantial. The National Audit Office says the government spends at least £14bn annually on digital procurement, covering everything from major policy platforms to critical operational systems and commodity technology.
But the opportunity is not evenly distributed.
Analysis from Tussell and techUK’s Tech Titans 2025 found that the top 150 public sector-facing tech firms received £16.5bn in direct public sector revenue in FY23/24, accounting for 84% of all government spending with technology suppliers.
That matters because many British software and services companies are not competing in a neutral market. They are competing against established suppliers with existing relationships, procurement familiarity, proven delivery records and the confidence of buyers who are trying to reduce risk, not add to it.
So the challenge is not simply being good.
It is being understood, trusted and easy to buy from.
Framework presence is not the same as market presence
There is also an important difference between being available to buy and being actively chosen.
Crown Commercial Service says SMEs account for around 75% of suppliers on CCS commercial agreements. Yet the British Chambers of Commerce reported that only 20% of direct public-sector procurement spend went to SMEs in 2024.
That gap matters.
Being on a framework may remove one barrier, but it does not automatically create demand, build trust, explain your proposition or help a buyer make the case internally.
For many businesses, this is where marketing is misunderstood.
Marketing is not just the campaign you run once the procurement route exists. It is the work that helps buyers understand:
Who you are for
What problem do you solve
Why it matters now
How do you reduce risk
Where have you done it before
How you support public value
Why you are credible in this specific market
The message matters, but proof matters more
The “buy British” conversation could create a stronger policy backdrop for UK suppliers.
But it also raises the bar.
If British companies want to benefit from that shift, they need to present themselves as more than British. They need to show capability, resilience, relevance and evidence.
Not just:
“We are a UK company.”
But:
“We understand this market.”
“We can deliver safely.”
“We reduce operational risk.”
“We support UK capability.”
“We create public value.”
“We have evidence this works.”
“We can be procured without unnecessary complexity.”
That is the difference between having a message and having a market-ready proposition.
Buyers are doing more work before they speak to sales
This is not only a public sector issue. It reflects a broader shift in B2B buying.
Gartner’s 2025 CMO Spend Survey found that marketing budgets remained flat at 7.7% of overall company revenue, which means marketing teams are under pressure to do more with a sharper focus.
At the same time, Gartner research indicates that many B2B buyers prefer to do more of their buying journey without speaking to a sales representative. That means the buyer is forming a view before the first conversation.
Your website, case studies, thought leadership, sector messaging, and sales materials often do the early trust-building before anyone from your team is in the room.
For public sector tech companies, that is especially important. Buyers may be looking for evidence long before they issue a tender, book a demo or invite a supplier into a conversation.
Public sector marketing is about confidence, not just awareness
In complex public sector markets, the buying journey is rarely simple. The people involved may include operational leaders, procurement teams, finance, digital, legal, information governance and senior executives. Each group has different questions. Each group may see risk differently.
Good marketing helps answer those questions. It supports the sales conversation. It gives internal champions the language and evidence they need.
It makes the proposition easier to understand, justify, and share.
Many strong companies already have the product, the expertise and the customer relationships. But their marketing does not always make the case clearly enough for the next buyer, the next market or the next stage of growth.
What British public sector tech companies should do now
If policy is shifting towards greater support for British capability, suppliers should seize the moment.
Not by wrapping everything in a flag. But by being more specific about their relevance.
That means showing:
Capability
What can you deliver, and at what level of complexity?
Credibility
Where have you done it before, and what evidence supports your claims?
Resilience
How do you manage data, security, governance, continuity and delivery risk?
Public value
How do you support better outcomes, efficiency, skills, jobs or UK capability?
Commercial clarity
How do buyers understand the cost, procurement route and return on investment?
This is where marketing becomes much more than communications.
It becomes part of the business’s commercial infrastructure.
Marketing has become part of the trust infrastructure
For public sector technology companies, marketing is not just about looking polished. It is part of how trust is built. The website, case studies, sales narrative, thought leadership and campaign activity all help buyers decide whether a company feels credible, relevant and safe to engage with.
The Chancellor’s “buy British” message may create a stronger backdrop for UK suppliers.
But companies still need to earn confidence.
