Public Procurement and Property

Scotland is open for business

February 24, 2020 by Ray Knox No Comments | Category Procurement news, SMEs, Supplier Development Programme, suppliers

I think we can all agree on this. It has been well demonstrated in February with the Supplier Development Programme’s free training events extending right across the North, South, East and West of the country.

• Tender Procedures and the ESPD to 11 suppliers with Moray Council in Elgin.
• Finding and Understanding Framework Opportunities to 14 suppliers with Dumfries and Galloway Council.
• Improving Your Bid Score to 20 suppliers with City of Edinburgh Council.
• Introduction to Working with the Public Sector to 18 suppliers, delivered in partnership with Renfrewshire Council.

The numbers speak for themselves. And from the feedback gathered so far, 91% of suppliers who attended SDP face-to-face events across Scotland this month are more likely to bid for public sector contracts as a direct result of the training they received.

The bigger picture

SDP has also been supporting wider engagement events this month. Cyber Scotland Week 2020 passed in the blink of an eye! The local authorities’ annual TayCities Meet the Public Sector Buyer event was supported by the Supplier Development Programme, and attracted 260 suppliers. The Innovation in Scotland’s Energy Storage Industry Supply Chain Event, also held in Dundee, was attended by 270 attendees from across Europe.

Through events and initiatives like these, SDP aims to support and connect public sector contract opportunities. Including those within supply chains with the local supplier base in Scotland.

By delivering core training, both face-to-face and via webinar, SDP is preparing Scottish suppliers for upcoming work. Through engaging with Scottish Government wider national initiatives, regionally with local authorities, and specific sector-based events, we’re working to ensure that small and medium sized businesses are supported and engaged across the country.

Less than 100 days to go until Meet the Buyer

We hope to showcase these opportunities and future work at Meet the Buyer 2020. This national event aims to connect the Scottish business base with senior procurers, decision-makers and influencers from across local and central government and the wider public sector.

Partnered by the Scottish Government and Scotland Excel, the event is on 2 June 2020 at the EICC in Edinburgh. The theme is “SDP 20/20 Vision: Open and Connected Procurement” and attracts over 2,500 businesses. Meet the Buyer 2020 is designed to allow buyers to engage with suppliers in Scotland who are looking to enter into, or increase their share of, the £11bn Scottish public procurement market and contribute to community wealth building in Scotland.

Further info

More information on how you can engage with SDP can be found online by visiting www.sdpscotland.co.uk.

Tags: contract opportunities, Scottish Procurement, Supplier Development Programme, Suppliers, tendering

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