News

Media Release: Record Numbers Sign Up for Meet the Buyer North 2019

The Supplier Development Programme (SDP) will hold the second annual Meet the Buyer North event on Wednesday, 4 September at Macdonald Aviemore Resort. Confirmed headline partners include Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

More than 1,100 suppliers have registered to attend Meet the Buyer North. There are 35 exhibition stalls with 41 public sector buyers and business support services represented.

If a business is trying to break into the public sector in the Highlands and Islands, Meet the Buyer North 2019 is a unique opportunity to spend one day away from the office to meet buyers, such as procurement officers from local authorities and other public organisations, face-to-face.

This event eliminates that costly time and effort and brings buyers from Scotland and the UK’s public sector, private contractors and business support providers all under one roof.

There will be a drop-in programme where SMEs can hear from a range of expert speakers. This year’s agenda will feature Moray Council, the Scottish Government Cyber Resilience team, SELECT Trade Association, Forestry and Land Scotland, Highlands and Islands Airports Limited, Crown Commercial Services, and Open4Business of Highlands and Islands Enterprise. SDP will also offer businesses top tips on tendering.

Meet the Buyer North 2018, held in Inverness, was a smash success with over 400 people in attendance. SDP received highly positive feedback about the event, with 89% of suppliers rating their overall event experience as either good or excellent, and 62% of suppliers said that they would definitely or very likely bid for public contracts after attending the event.

Ends

Notes for Editors

• SDP is a publicly-funded partnership led by Local Authorities, working in conjunction with Scottish Government and other public bodies, to bring Scottish SMEs support in all aspects of tendering. By assisting businesses to become tender ready for public procurement, SDP improves all-round efficiency, sustainability and market potential.
• In Scotland, there is an annual public spend of £11billion. In the UK, there is an annual public spend of £240billion. SDP Scotland offers free training throughout Scotland to Scottish SMEs to support and champion them tendering for this work.
• Confirmed exhibitors include: Angus Council, Dundee City Council, Forestry and Land Scotland, Highlands and Islands Airports Limited, Highlands and Islands Enterprise/O4B, Historic Environment Scotland, Moray Council/Business Gateway, Perth and Kinross Council, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Police Scotland, Scottish Government, Scottish Procurement Alliance, SELECT, Supplier Development Programme, and The Highland Group (Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and The Highland Council), APUC, Bancon Construction Ltd, Balfour Beatty Ltd, Kier Construction, Business Loans Scotland, Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd, CITB, Construction Scotland Innovation Centre, Crown Commercial Service, Federation of Small Businesses, hub North Scotland Limited, Inverness Chamber of Commerce, Just Enterprise/CEIS, Living Wage Scotland, NHS Highland, Public Contracts Scotland, Roadbridge UK Limited, Scotland Excel, Scottish Government – Cyber Resilience, Scottish Water, Sellafield Ltd and Transport Scotland.
• Visit sdpscotland.co.uk for more information.