Meet the Buyer South 2023

Together with headline partners South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE), Scottish Borders Council, Dumfries and Galloway Council, and the Scottish Government, the Supplier Development Programme has announced the second annual Meet the Buyer South event on 3 October 2023.

Focusing on one-to-one in-person networking, Meet the Buyer South 2023 will allow your business to connect with "real" buyers, procurement teams and decision makers from across the public sector, as well as private contractors with supply chain opportunities and business support providers, all under one roof.

This free event affords suppliers that wish to do business in the South of Scotland, unprecedented access to buyers and decision makers from across the public and private sectors, with the opportunity to raise your profile as a business and prepare for upcoming contract opportunities.

Who's Exhibiting?

Headline partners:

• Dumfries & Galloway Council
• Scottish Borders Council
• South of Scotland Enterprise
• Supplier Development Programme

Other exhibitors:

• Scottish Government & Public Contracts Scotland
• Balfour Beatty
• BAM
• Business Gateway
• hub South East
• Scotland Excel
• Wheatley Group

Who's Speaking?

10:30 Welcome from SDP

10:35 Ministerial Address by Tom Arthur MSP, Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance, Scottish Government

10:45 Keynote from Headline Partners

11:00 Q&A session with Nikki Archer, Scottish Government Deputy Director, Head of Procurement & Commercial Policy & Strategy

11:30 Dumfries and Galloway Council: Roads Contractor Engagement Session

Why should your business attend Meet the Buyer South?

• Find out about upcoming contracts
• Learn about supply chain opportunities.
• Chat 1-to-1 with public sector buyers from across the South of Scotland, including local authorities, and government agencies.
• Engage 1-to-1 with key primary contractors.

How to prepare your business for Meet the Buyer South?

It can be daunting walking through the doors of Meet the Buyer South as a visitor, especially if it is your first time attending a Meet the Buyer event. But help is on hand! Check out our handy guide to preparing for a Meet the Buyer event to ensure your visit is profitable. 

This event is designed to support micro, small and medium sized businesses in the South of Scotland to engage with business opportunities in the public sector. Businesses of all sizes are welcome to attend Meet the Buyer South. Non-SME suppliers are also eligible to attend, and all must register a free account with SDP to book a place.

All suppliers are welcome. Please register your place in advance.

You can join the conversation on social media by using the #MeetTheBuyerSouth2023