According to the EU’s Enterprise DG, public procurement contracts amount to more than €1.5 trillion a year, or 16% of the EU’s GDP. The sheer size of this market makes it extremely attractive to large and frequently multinational companies, and the rules governing it are both complex and fiercely fought over. In this context, the EU Public Procurement Directive and EU competition policy are concerned to ensure that that there is a “level playing field” and that procedures are as transparent as possible. However, there is concern from many quarters that local SMEs and social enterprises may be excluded by the sheer weight and complexity of tendering processes and their inability to deal with new e-procurement systems.