Local businesses set for tender success

Over 20 local companies attended a workshop last week at Lisburn’s Lagan Valley Island to get top tips on tendering for business in the all-island public procurement market, which, despite the economic effects of the recession, is still worth approximately £15billion.

The Go-2-Tender event, run by all-island business development body InterTradeIreland has already helped 240 companies North and South secure contracts valued at £17million.

InterTradeIreland Operations Director Margaret Hearty said “The all-island procurement market offers much needed opportunities to business in an economic environment which has become increasingly volatile and hard to predict,” she said.

“As competition continues to intensify across the island, SMEs should look islandwide to generate sales and offset decreasing rates of public expenditure in their own jurisdiction, and the Go-2-Tender workshops offer these companies expert advice on how best to do just that.”

Commenting on the popularity and success of the series, Ms Hearty continued: “Uptake for the Go-2-Tender workshops has been exceptional and to meet the ever-growing demand, we intend to announce a further series later this month.”

Jenny Palmer, Chair of Lisburn City Council’s Economic Development Committee said “We are delighted to be working in partnership with InterTradeIreland to deliver this initiative in the City of Lisburn.
Projects such as this have an important role to play in growing the local economy, as they assist companies to gain the confidence and skills to successfully tender for goods and services throughout Northern Ireland and Ireland.”

Chris Taylor of Lisburn company Brookvent attended the recent workshops and explained how he felt it could benefit his business: “Attending the course was time well spent. It helped me understand how public sector bodies buy goods and services, how to find new tender opportunities, the tendering process itself and ultimately what buyers are looking for.”

Article InterTradeIreland