Member Article

Tees Valley SMEs to be given unique insight into working with large companies

Advanced manufacturing, engineering and chemical businesses in the Tees Valley will be given an unique insight into working with larger organisations at a free event in October.

The ‘Access the Buyer’ event, organised by charity Business in the Community and Santander, will see large businesses including TATA Steel and JDR Cable Systems demonstrate their buying and purchasing expertise to SMEs across the region.

With 99% of all private sector businesses classified as SMEs in the UK, there is a critical role for them to play in the on-going recovery and in building sustainable, resilient communities. However, many SMEs struggle to supply their products and services to large businesses, which can often have a direct impact on their ability to grow and create jobs. In contrast, many larger companies are keen to work with more SMEs in their supply chain but can sometimes struggle to fulfil this commitment.

The Access the Buyer series of events aims to address this issue by offering SMEs insight into, and practical knowledge of, the often complicated procurement processes and supply chains of large companies. The event to be held at The Wilton Centre, Redcar on Thursday 16 October will combine purchasing insight, breakout sessions and networking.

Robbie Peacock, Relationship Director, Santander Corporate Banking said: “Santander is committed to supporting small businesses and we are proud to have been Business in the Community’s SME programme partner for the last three years. SMEs have told us that a key barrier to growth is being able to access the supply chains of larger businesses. The ‘Access the Buyer’ events were created to provide practical advice and guidance for small business owners on how to successfully win new contracts and trade with their larger cousins. We hope that this insight will help small businesses to grow, ultimately contributing to local economic growth and job creation.”

Liz Needleman, Area Director England East, Business in the Community said: “Access the Buyer will give SMEs across the UK practical insight into the trading opportunities with larger businesses. Since the beginning of the recession, nine out of ten unemployed people who found work in the private sector found it in an SME – so we know they are a key contributor to economic growth. We look forward to working with many hundreds of SMEs throughout this campaign and helping them to flourish and create employment.”

Access the Buyer is a dedicated programme to help SMEs access large business supply opportunities. To register your interest in attending the event visit http://www.bitc.org.uk/news-events/events/access-buyer-advanced-manufacturing-engineering-and-chemicals.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Business In the Community .