Local firms urged to prepare for £150m of Glasgow City Deal infrastructure contracts

Local firms urged to prepare for £150m of Glasgow City Deal infrastructure contracts

Glasgow City Region is to formally launch the latest contract pipeline for its £1 billion City Deal infrastructure programme including details of over £150 million worth of tier one infrastructure contracts due to go to open tender in the coming three years.

A free online business event, held in partnership with the Supplier Development Programme, will provide a virtual platform to showcase details of the Region’s upcoming contract opportunities, with three Talking Tender workshops also taking place where business can hear more about specific upcoming City Deal projects and their contracts.  

Representatives from the eight City Region councils will be on hand at virtual exhibition stands throughout the day to talk through their City Deal programmes and projects, as well as wider council capital investment programmes, outlining what contracts are coming up to award and when.

Councillor Susan Aitken, chair of the Glasgow City Region Cabinet and leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “Our City Deal is helping to protect the Region’s jobs and businesses from the impacts of Covid-19. In fact, to date local companies have benefitted from over £110m worth of City Deal contracts.

“This event will give our partner councils the chance to engage with the business community at different stages of project timelines to tell them about upcoming contract opportunities.

“I’d urge local businesses in these industries to register for this free online event to find out more and to hear what support is available.”

The contract pipeline is being issued before the event so that relevant businesses get advance notice of contracts coming up that they could either bid for or which they are already on a framework for – and then register to attend the event to find out more.

A new Regional strategy for Sustainable Procurement and Community Benefits will also be formally launched at the event.  

With procurement spend across the eight Regional councils in the realm of £2bn per annum, there is an enormous opportunity for local companies and SMEs of all sizes to bid for and win not only tier one contracts but all of the ensuing sub contracts coming through from those.

The strategy sets out an intention to bring on board other key Regional public sector partners as part of the collaborative approach and also to go beyond the City Deal to include the wider capital infrastructure procurement programmes of all eight councils in the Region. Work is already underway to map out an overall Capital Investment Plan which will show planned capital investment for public sector agencies across the whole City Region area for the next three years.

Councillor Aitken added: “We are determined that decisions we make in procurement will address inequalities and climate change, benefit local communities and, vitally provide opportunities for local businesses.

“As the Region prepares to host COP26, we are fully committed to exploring how procurement can support our net zero carbon ambitions and mitigate the impacts of climate change.  

“We have big asks too of businesses who win our contracts to support all of these ambitions; to work more closely with us to open up supply chains to support local SMEs; to deliver community benefits that really make a difference – that help local young people, communities and those that need it most; and to support work in climate change and reducing emissions.”

The new Glasgow City Region City Deal Infrastructure Tier One Contract Pipeline is available here.

Gillian Cameron, programme manager of the Supplier Development Programme, said: “Meet the Buyer 2021 is the event of the year for supplier engagement with buyers, particularly as the public sector turns towards economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Businesses will be able to raise their profile as a business, learn about upcoming bidding opportunities through the Glasgow City Region City Deal that could offer much-needed stability in the long-term, and be supported every step of the way through the Supplier Development Programme.”

Nearly 2,000 suppliers have already registered to attend Meet the Buyer 2021. Businesses interested in registering for the event taking place on June 8 should visit www.sdpscotland.co.uk/events-mtb/ to book a place. Registrations will be accepted until June 4.


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