Government Purchases and Firm Growth

Public procurement accounts for a substantial portion of taxpayers' money and firms' revenue. To prove a causal relationship between government purchases and firm growth, I exploit an auction mechanism in Korea where contracts are randomly allocated. I find that a short-term contract induces long-term changes in the winning firm's growth, especially among small, young, and financially constrained firms. I also show that these firms grow their private operations. I explore four plausible mechanisms behind this persistent growth: (i) building reputation in private markets, (ii) learning-by-doing, (iii) overcoming financial constraints, and (iv) making irreversible investments. The data support the first three mechanisms.