Buckinghamshire County Council has been voted one of the regional authorities most friendly to small businesses in a survey.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) assessed 52 local authorities in the south-east and found that Buckinghamshire came third in a ranking of "most small business friendly" in the area of public procurement.

An example of the county's commitment to small business is an upcoming training day on March 16th in Aylesbury, where owners can further their knowledge of the tendering process.

This follows an educational procurement conference held last summer, which was attended by 74 businesses and was organised by the council's procurement and commissioning team in conjunction with other organisations.

Frank Downes, cabinet member for resources, said: "Having our achievements recognised by the FSB is great news for the county council, as well as for Buckinghamshire's thriving small businesses which have demonstrated they can compete against major consortiums and deliver an excellent service.

"We seek to use the services of local enterprise wherever possible and are constantly reappraising ways of increasing this support."

The FSB has been promoting small businesses since 1974.