Close to 100 local, small and micro businesses gain new skills and knowledge to win more contracts thanks to Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough (ABC) Council’s procurement support programme.
Designed to improve tendering capabilities of ABC borough businesses with fewer than 50 employees, the Win More Business Procurement Programme aims to support the growth and development of this key sector.
Since launching back in 2019, the wide-ranging programme has provided 96 local businesses with tailored support including one-to-one mentoring, bespoke online workshops as well as expert guidance and assistance from experienced procurement professionals – helping the businesses enhance their tender writing skills and boost their tender win rate.
Local businesses, Happy Raspberry HR and McCreanor & Co Architects, are just two examples of the Programme’s participants that have not only improved their tendering skills but also their tendering confidence.
Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Alderman Glenn Barr said:
“I am so pleased to hear the positive impact council’s Win More Business Procurement Programme is making to our borough businesses. The success demonstrated by Happy Raspberry HR and McCreanor & Co Architects is testament to the importance of support programmes like these in helping our local businesses grow and create employment opportunities – especially as our local economy continues to recover from the pandemic.”
For Portadown-based Human Resource consulting business, Happy Raspberry HR, the Programme has been instrumental in helping the company understand how to structure and submit high-quality tender applications, demonstrating their in-house skills and expertise as effectively as possible.
Gillian McDowell from Happy Raspberry HR commented:
“The Win More Business Procurement Programme has provided us with the self-belief to apply for tenders, and realise that we can achieve winning tenders. We look forward to the next tender coming available as we now have the knowledge and understanding on how to successfully apply for tenders.”
Similarly, fellow Portadown company, McCreanor & Co Architects has also developed a new-found tendering confidence, helping the business increase the speed, efficiency and quantity of first-rate tender submissions.
Endorsing the Programme, Paul McCreanor from McCreanor & Co Architects commented:
“We are very thankful to everyone involved in the Win More Business Procurement Programme. Helping us diversify our scope of works, the Programme has supported us to capitalise on our skills and realise our ambitions to expand into new business sectors.”
More information
The Programme’s next webinar will take place on Thursday 2 September 2021 from 11am to 12noon. Delivered virtually, the ‘How to Source and Identify Tenders on the etenders.ni Portal’ webinar is designed to help your business build the confidence to use the online portal and ensure you do not miss any future tendering opportunities.
To register for this webinar click here.
The Win More Business Procurement Programme is part funded by Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Growth & Jobs Northern Ireland (2014-2020) Programme.
To find out more about the Win More Business Procurement Programme click here.
