Online event offers advice on bids and contracts

Published: Tuesday 23 November 2021

This image shows a logo for the Lanarkshire Meet the Real Buyer event 2021

Lanarkshire businesses are being urged to attend a free event to help them successfully bid for work and contracts.

South and North Lanarkshire Councils are jointly hosting the Lanarkshire Meet the “Real” Buyer online event in partnership with the Supplier Development Programme.

It will offer suppliers that wish to do business in Lanarkshire unprecedented access to leading contractors and local authority services that commission the actual work. 

You will also hear more about the upcoming contracts that businesses can bid/tender for in the future and raise your profile as a business and prepare for upcoming contract opportunities. 

Business will be able to meet procurement teams from a variety of other public and private sector organisations.

The event takes place on Tuesday 30 November from 9am to 2pm – you can register online to secure your free space at the event.

Chair of South Lanarkshire Council’s Community and Enterprise Resources Committee, Councillor John Anderson, said: “This event will allow businesses a valuable opportunity to meet and engage with procurement teams from local councils, alongside other public and private sector buying organisations, private contractors and business support organisations.

“We recognise that this past year and a half has been a very challenging one for many businesses because of the global pandemic, but as the economic recovery gathers pace hopefully this event will give you the tools to potentially benefit from the contracts and tenders that are available.

“I hope as many businesses as possible across Lanarkshire take up the opportunity to attend this free, fully virtual online event.

Gillian Cameron, Supplier Development Programme (SDP) Manager, said: “The Supplier Development Programme is using the latest online technology to offer every business, whatever its size, an opportunity to connect directly with buyers at the Lanarkshire Meet the “Real” Buyer event. 

“With more than 750 registrations already, I encourage all businesses to introduce themselves and find out about future contract opportunities locally that can grow your company.”

SDP aims to help Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and supported businesses in Scotland improve their performance in winning contracts with public sector organisations.

They do this by offering information, support and training events to help SMEs compete in tendering processes when competing throughout Scotland where there is an annual public spend of £13.3 billion.

Among those attending the event next week, along with South and North Lanarkshire Councils and SDP, are the Scottish Government, Scottish Procurement Alliance, PfH Scotland, Zero Waste Scotland, NHS Lanarkshire, Scotland Excel, New College Lanarkshire, Elevator UK/Business Gateway Lanarkshire, Partnership for Procurement, Crown Commercial Services, hub South West Scotland, BAM Construction, Levenseat Ltd, Hadden Group and Business Loans Scotland.