Are your Tenders on Radar?

A best practice guide designed to address the issues which inhibit SME procurement from the public sector was launched by Minister Brian Hayes at an event in the Dublin Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday the 13th of February.

The best practice guide, which was developed by the Enterprise Europe Network at Dublin Chamber, is based on the findings and research unearthed through a series of targeted learning and networking workshops organised as part of the “Are tenders on your radar?” project. The guide was drafted and authored by Dr.Paul Davis, Emma McEvoy and Anthony Flynn of the Procurement Research Centre in DCU Business School.

In Ireland and the UK alone, the public sector procures about €190 billion in goods and services every year. But although SME’s account for 99% of total companies, they deliver less than half of the requirements of contracting authorities.

Gina Quin, Dublin Chamber Chief Executive said, “Research has shown that, given the right conditions and assistance, SMEs can become more effective in winning and retaining supply contracts to Government and other authorities. This is a ‘win win’ for all; SMEs are the backbone of our economy and the primary generation source of employment and business taxes. When successful and facilitated, SMEs also have the potential to grow into large companies with an international reach”.

The Best practice Guide is available on line at http://issuu.com/dchpartners/docs/promoting_sme__web_?mode=window