Ashwin Kutty perceives a missing link in the great web of social networks and business tools available today: no one has a solution to navigate the tendering process.

An international consultant based in Halifax, Kutty is now the president and CEO of weusthem Inc., a startup that will present at DemoCamp Halifax on Sept. 23. Its product RevealFP will launch in Atlantic Canada this year and its singular goal – at least in the early stages – will be to help small and medium-sized businesses compete effectively in the formal and informal procurement process both locally and internationally. The key is highlighting hidden expertise so smaller companies can become truly competitive in the supplier-vendor market space.

Kutty, who has worked as a consultant in such places as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, said his aim is to bring to small businesses the same network and clout that large companies have when they are competing for contracts.

“If the procurement process were more transparent . . . anyone would be able to go out there and compete for these contracts,” said Kutty over a coffee earlier this week.

The goal of RevealFP will be to allow small and medium-sized businesses to develop broad and deep networks so they can compete more effectively in bidding for tenders. Of course, the site will allow them to post their qualifications and areas of interest, but it will also allow them to display references and commendations, to show the scope of their expertise.

That means that large business or a government entity looking for contractors can find talent before it has released a tender, or can assess applicants quickly once a tender goes out. It also means small businesses are notified of a tender in their space as soon as it’s posted.

Kutty also stressed that an important feature of RevealFP is how it reduces the workload of a contractor finding sub-contractors.  Once a contractor wins a tender, he can immediately use the site to find qualified subcontractors, checking their qualifications and references, further pushing the small business market to the forefront.

Kutty plans to roll out the product – which he has been developing for about a year and a half – in Atlantic Canada first, allowing small businesses in the region to be the first to benefit from it. As the local market picks up on the value of this service, he said, he will extend it to other jurisdictions. He also plans additional features, though he is mum about what they might be.

So far, Kutty has financed weusthem himself. He said he would be willing to accept a suitable offer for an investment if it were aligned for strategic growth, but has not actively sought investment.