Date - 19.10.10 - Thistle Hotel, Glasgow

Overview

This event will consider when SMEs may wish to look at partnering with others to secure contracts, and when sub-contract or sub-supplier opportunities should be considered.

About

The workshop looks at areas of competition where small businesses and sole traders may wish to consider the benefit of working in association with other organisations. It will examine the advantages of partnering over sub-contracting and vice versa and will address the issues that should be considered when undertaking these processes.

Why attend

Contracts can often be of a size which makes sole participation impossible, particularly for smaller businesses. Partnering with others or utilising a team of sub-contractors can give a business an edge and allow it to bid for contracts that may otherwise be beyond its scope.

Who should attend

This workshop is designed for SMEs and sole traders which have encountered issues around the size of contracts they wish to bid for and are eager to win more business in association with others.

Eddie Regan

Eddie Regan

Eddie is BiP Solutions' Senior Procurement Consultant and frequently assists public sector organisations with clarification and interpretation of EU Directives and a wide variety of legislative issues. He is also lead consultant on BiP's PASS Mark Health Check, an evaluation technique that helps identify how organisations in both the public and private sectors can develop more effective processes in all aspects of public sector contracting, including the tendering process. Eddie also provides in-house training on the tendering process – law and practice – to personnel in both the public and private sectors, including several multinational organisations.

Gareth Jones

Gareth Jones

Gareth has worked in the procurement field since 1971, the greater part of his career being in the public sector, including 22 years in healthcare purchasing. Throughout his health sector career he was involved in strategic contractual tasks and duties at regional and national levels. In 1992 he moved to the Department of Transport and undertook major change programmes, most notably in relation to privatisations and outsourcing contracts in service provision, and in 1997 became DETR's first Head of Procurement. Since leaving the public service Gareth has undertaken a major procurement review for the House of Commons. In consultancy terms, his major clients have included Inland Revenue, Nirex, Sapient plc and Governetz Ltd. Gareth is a noted change manager with highly respected motivational, training and teaching skills. A strong academic and publishing background has reinforced these activities.

Dr Paul Wright

Dr Paul Wright

Paul has been providing training and consultancy in purchasing and supply chain management to a wide range of clients since 1998. Paul and his associates have worked extensively for public sector organisations in the UK including regional development agencies, business links, councils and cluster teams. Overseas he has worked extensively for the oil and gas industries. Before founding PAWA Paul spent a decade at ICI in a variety of roles, including business development. His last role was as a engineering contracts manager responsible for global and regional framework agreements.

Paul King

Paul King

Paul has over 30 years high level management experience in both the private and public sectors. He was a county council Chief Officer, responsible for all commercial activity including tendering for work in competition with the private sector, with over 2,500 staff in five services and a £13m turnover. He was the founder, spokesman and Chair of the Forum of DSO Managers with a membership of over 30 UK local authorities. He has worked in most countries in the Middle East including Iraq and created the UK subsidiary for a large European FM company and grew the business to £5m in four years, making it the fastest growing worldwide subsidiary. He has also acted as a “company doctor” for SMEs, identifying weaknesses, creating long term stability and focussing business development and has been a regular speaker/chairman at seminars on public procurement. Between 2001 and 2005 he was CEO - Business Development for a Government contractor with sales of over £80m, generating sales of £30m p.a. including ground breaking contracts in new areas of business including the company’s first overseas contract in Israel. He is currently consulting to the private sector and is also involved with manufacturing and distributing cutting edge renewable energy products.

Brian Shipton

Brian Shipton

Brian worked in central government for 12 years as Head of Procurement and Contract Management for the Training and Development Agency for Schools, where he developed the procurement function for a newly formed NDPB and delivered workshops aimed at developing the intelligent internal customer. An accredited Gateway Reviewer, he has taken part in many medium and high risk reviews, including for the MOD.