New business minister Norman Lamb has pledged to do more to create a level playing field for smaller firms in Norfolk vying win public sector contracts.

Cuts in public spending has meant that many contracts awarded to private firms has dried up whether its smallscale building projects to marketing work.

While many miss out to larger companies, who are better equipped to deal with the administration linked to the tendering process.

But Mr Lamb said there was work still to be had and he said he was talking to Cabinet Office colleagues to ensure that cumbersome red tape, which is thought to put some firms off bidding for public sector work, can be pared back.

And he said greater transparency was needed so that smaller companies knew which public sector contracts were available to bid for.

'The whole objective over the last couple of years has been to really simplify the processes and sweep out all the requirements that give those big companies a competitive advantage, so that you create a much more level playing field for SMEs to go for it and not be put off,' Mr Lamb said. 'It's a case of making sure where the work is available, Norfolk businesses have a chance alongside the big boys.

'The tendency is that big companies do muscle in and they find it easier because they have got whole departments who can deal with the tendering process,' Mr Lamb added. 'They know what to do and are at an advantage compared to SMEs.'

On Monday, Mr Lamb is in Brussels looking at how rules on public sector procurement can be opened up at the European level. And the North Norfolk MP, who became a business minister alongside Mark Prisk in the wake of Chris Huhne's resignation, and the promotion of Ed Davey to energy and climate change, will be taking part in a local sourcing and procurement conference alongside the North Norfolk Business Form (NNBF), and Federation of Small Businesses next Friday.

Euan MacPherson, chairman of NNBF said: 'Many businesses are unaware of the opportunities on offer, or they perceive the processes to be too complex, too costly and hardly worth the effort. This is not necessarily the case, and the Procurement Conference is one way to address these misconceptions.'