Public Procurement and Property

Singing SDP’s successes in 2019

December 13, 2019 by Jennifer Payne No Comments | Category Meet the Buyer, Meet the Buyer North, Supplier Development Programme

It’s been a full year for the Supplier Development Programme (SDP). Since January 2019, we have organised and supported more than 175 face-to-face training events, webinars, partner events and external events.

While it may be a step too far to start singing the ’12 Days of Christmas’, it’s definitely worth looking back to note a dozen successes we had over the last year:

12. The SDP team was a finalist for the 2019 GO Awards Team of the Year.

11. We participated in the innovative initiative of #ProcurementHour on Twitter, to widen the conversation about open and transparent procurement across the UK and share how we do things in Scotland.

10. We published our 2018-2019 Annual Report.

9. After submitting written and oral evidence at the Scottish Parliament, SDP welcomed the construction procurement recommendations made by the Scottish Parliament Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee.

8. SDP welcomed new membership organisations, including SELECT Trade Association, the Scottish Procurement Alliance and Wheatley Group. More about how to join us is detailed on our website.

7. We have increased our followers by about a third on Twitter, which means our messages on #HelpingYouBidBetter are adding to the #PowerOfProcurement. We are also on Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

6. Scottish Procurement produced our first video case study on how SDP helped Consult Lifts to win public sector contracts.

5. To recognise the key foundation that family businesses provide in Scotland, the SDP sponsored the Rural Family Business of the Year Category at The Herald Family Business Awards 2019.

4. Moray Council officially launched the Supplier Development Programme, and scheduled their first ever face-to-face courses to be delivered in January 2020.

3. We launched our new website. It’s easier to navigate and offers better functionality for suppliers and buyers. It features cases studies and dedicated resources for Scottish-based SMEs and supported businesses.

2. All in all, nearly two thousand businesses attended Meet the Buyer North 2019 and Meet the Buyer 2019.

1. We were proud to share the successes of small and medium sized businesses that are winning work and bidding for the first time as a result of engaging with us, by showcasing case studies on the SDP website.

The SDP elves are already hard at work compiling a full programme of opportunities for the coming year. The biggest ever venue has been booked for Meet the Buyer 2020: the EICC in Edinburgh, and registration is already open so that you can reserve your place on 2 June. Shortly afterwards, Meet the Buyer North will take place on 2 September at the Macdonald Aviemore Resort. If you’re looking to do business in the North of Scotland, be sure to register your place!

From all of us at SDP, we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Tags: annual reports, Meet the Buyer, Meet the Buyer North, SDP, SDP guest blog, Supplier Development Programme

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