cbi northern ireland - public procurement conference - aidan gough, intertradeireland

Helping Win in the ROI MarketAidan Gough

DirectorStrategy & Policy

Characteristics of ROI Market• ROI Public Procurement Market: c€15

billion

• E-tenders system: 46,800 suppliers registered

• Decentralised

Structure of ROI Market

Characteristics of ROI Market• ROI Public Procurement Market: c€15

billion

• E-tenders system: 46,800 suppliers registered

• Decentralised

• Decline

• Difficult

Potential Barriers

• Employment Law• Equality Legislation• Immigrant Legislation• Employment Permits

Act• Terms of Employment

Act• Working Hours• Mileage Payments

• Pay Issues• Protective Leave• Bullying Harassment• Health & Safety• VAT• Corporation Tax• Income Tax• PRSI

Why NI SME’s don’t tender in ROI Market

• Opportunities not of interest to NI SME’s • Lack of resources to pursue opportunities • Logistics • Become established in local market first • Don’t know where the opportunities are • Work in a niche market • Lack of relationships with buyers • Branch/office already in the ROI market

SME Routes to Market

• Register with eTenders

• Sole Supplier

• Supply Chain

• Consortia

Smart Tendering

What ITI can do to help

• InterTradeIreland GO-2-Tender Programme

• Providing SME’s with Knowledge, Skills and Support to tender on a cross-border basis for public sector contracts

• Previously Go Tender ran from 2004-2006 and participants reported a return of between £17million and £19million directly attributable to the Programme.

What is involved?

• Two days training• Day 1:

– Cross-border overview of tendering in the opposite jurisdiction

– Strategies SME’s can employ to become more successful

• Day 2:– Becoming more competitive– Critiquing current and previous tenders– Improving tender writing skills

Company Comments

“The workshop helped us to understand how the marketplace works in the Republic and the best way to approach it. As a result, we have won a considerable amount of contracts in the South of Ireland as well as the North .”

Geoff Hayter, Bluechip Technologies

Company Comments

“The focus of the sessions on the needs of small companies and as our company had no experience of public sector tendering, we found them extremely valuable. We have since used the skills to tender for contracts in the South and have been successful in undertaking contracts by ourselves and securing a major contract as a partner in a joint bid.”

Sharon McKeown, Integrated Marketing Management

Planned Events in 2009

• Belfast • Day One: 03 March

2009• Day Two: 18 March

2009

• Dublin• Day One: 19 March

2009• Day Two: 31 March

2009

• Cookstown • Day One: 23 April

2009• Day Two: 30 April

2009

• Cork• Day One: 07 May 2009• Day Two: 21 May 2009

• For further information on Go-2-Tender or any InterTradeIreland programme please visit the website: www.intertradeireland.com

Telephone: 0044(0)28 3083 4100