Committee of Supply 2025 debate, Day 1: Mariam Jaafar on government working with start-ups

Start-ups face a lot of challenges in securing government business. Besides needing more hand-holding as they are smaller and have less management depth, there is also always a question of the longevity of a start-up as a supplier, said MP Mariam Jaafar in parliament on Friday (Feb 28). She noted that government procurement is also often stacked against younger firms. She wanted to know what form of change management the government is doing to upskill and change the mindsets of government ministries and agencies on working with start-ups. She also raised the question of how start-ups can be prepared to serve government clients.