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Small and Medium Enterprises Supports

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 October 2012

Thursday, 18 October 2012

Questions (151)

John McGuinness

Question:

151. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the action he is taking to assist small and medium enterprises to optimise their share of public procurement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45385/12]

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Written answers

The public sector spends in the region of €14 billion on the purchase of goods and services each year. Public procurement therefore offers significant business opportunities for enterprises, and particularly SMEs, who can compete successfully and win a share of these contracts.

The Action Plan for Jobs contains a series of actions designed to improve access to public procurement opportunities for SMEs. These include ensuring that the qualifying criteria for public contracts are proportionate, and providing advice to firms on how to improve their engagement in the procurement process. Some of these actions are for delivery by the National Procurement Service (NPS) and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, which has overall responsibility for public procurement policy in Ireland.

With regard to my own Department and its agencies, Enterprise Ireland is actively supporting its client companies in preparing and competing for public contracts. The agency has assigned 18 Advisors to work with companies in the procurement process. This support is in addition to the one-to-one engagement undertaken with client companies by Enterprise Ireland’s Procurement Team. In the last 12 months, 697 clients have participated in events organised by the Public Procurement Team.

Enterprise Ireland, along with the NPS, has been encouraging client SMEs to register on the eTenders.ie and Procurement.ie websites so that they are alerted to upcoming public procurement opportunities. The agency has also been involved in “Meet the Buyer” events which bring together public sector buyers and potential suppliers.

A ‘Procuring Innovation Initiative’ has been introduced under the Action Plan for Jobs, with the aim of encouraging a more flexible approach to tendering that focuses on procuring innovative solutions to an organisation’s needs, rather than prescribed products or services which may be less effective. This approach will afford an opportunity for innovate SMEs to demonstrate their capacity to win public contracts. A number of State bodies have agreed to participate in the Procuring Innovation Initiative.

In conjunction with the NPS, Enterprise Ireland is also exploring the potential for developing a panel of contractors on the Government’s eTenders website which could be available to principal contractors who are looking for subcontractors or specialist partners to complete a project.

Progress in relation to the initiatives under the Action Plan for Jobs to improve SME access to public procurement are published in the Quarterly Progress Reports which are available on my Department’s website, www.enterprise.gov.ie.

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