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Record Numbers Sign Up for Meet the Buyer 2019

The Supplier Development Programme (SDP) will hold the 11th annual Meet the Buyer event on Wednesday, 13 November at Hampden National Park Stadium, Glasgow. Confirmed headline partners include Scottish Government and Scotland Excel. More than 2,500 suppliers have registered to attend Meet the Buyer to date. There are more than 65 exhibition stalls with 71 public sector buyers and business support services represented.

If a business is trying to break into the public sector in Scotland, which spends £11bn annually, Meet the Buyer 2019 is a unique opportunity to spend one day out of the office to meet buyers, such as procurement officers from local authorities and other public organisations, face-to-face. This event 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 Scotland Excel, the Scottish Government Cyber Resilience team, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, SELECT Trade Association, Productivity Clubs Programme from SCDI, and Sellafield Ltd. SDP will also offer businesses top tips for tendering, and officially launch the new Supplier Development Programme website: www.sdpscotland.co.uk.

Gillian Cameron, Supplier Development Programme Manager, said: “The Supplier Development Programme exists to ensure that Scottish SMEs and Third Sector organisations have access to free tender training in order to find, win and hopefully retain public sector contract opportunities.

“Our Meet the Buyer event is the largest free procurement event of its kind in Scotland. SDP’s shared goal is to raise awareness of public sector contract opportunities and provide free access to public sector buyers and the wider supply chain, to contribute to open and transparent procurement practices.”

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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: the Supplier Development Programme, Scottish Government, East Ayrshire Council, North Ayrshire Council, South Ayrshire Council, West Lothian Council, Midlothian Council, East Lothian Council, Renfrewshire Council, West Dunbartonshire Council, Glasgow City Council, South Lanarkshire Council, North Lanarkshire Council, Highland Council, Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, Fife Council, Dumfries & Galloway Council, Argyll and Bute Council, Falkirk Council, Clackmannanshire Council, Stirling Council, Dundee City Council, Perth & Kinross Council, Historic Environment Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Forestry and Land Scotland, National Records of Scotland, Registers of Scotland, Scottish Procurement Alliance, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Parliament Corporate Body, SELECT Trade Association, Ayrshire Regional Growth Deal and Glasgow City Region City Deal.
• Confirmed premium exhibitors include: Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd, Magnox Ltd, Multiplex Construction Europe Ltd, Roadbridge UK Limited, Scotland Excel, and Zero Waste Scotland. Other confirmed exhibitors include: CITB, Wills Bros Civil Engineering Ltd, Hadden Group, GAP Group Ltd, Central Building Contractors (Glasgow) Ltd, hub West Scotland, Sellafield Ltd, APUC Ltd, Department for International Development, Transport Scotland, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, COPFS, Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, Scottish Water, Scottish Government - Cyber Security, Public Contracts Scotland, NHS Scotland National Procurement, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Ayrshire and Arran, BiP Solutions, Digital Development Loan, Police Scotland, Business Loans Scotland, Just Enterprise, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and Productivity Clubs Programme (SCMI).
• Cash Catering is sponsored by A-Plant. A-Plant is one of the UK's leading plant, tool and equipment hire companies which has more than 190 service centres nationwide.
• Visit www.sdpscotland.co.uk for more information.