The all-island public procurement market is worth an estimated €15bn/£13bn, and it represents an outstanding opportunity for SMEs to win steady business and increase their sales. However the market is undergoing some important changes, including the introduction of new Social Value and Environmental clauses, and these will have an impact on how companies tender for public contracts in Northern Ireland and Ireland. 

Companies who are considering bidding for public sector contracts will need to be aware of these changes in order to stay competitive.

InterTradeIreland’s Digital Sales Supports are designed to help your business improve and expand its online presence in the cross-border market and beyond.

Our Digital Sales Essentials support offers 5 days of fully funded consultancy in a number of support categories that can be tailored to your specific company requirements. Areas of support include e-commerce platforms, digital marketing and sales via paid advertising. 

InterTradeIreland’s latest Business Monitor (Q1 2022) highlights the resilience of businesses across the island of Ireland, with sales remaining stable or improving for three quarters of companies (74 per cent).

Martin Robinson, InterTradeIreland’s new Director of Strategy says: “Whilst businesses have shown outstanding resilience over the past two years in responding to the dual challenge of Brexit and Covid-19, this resilience is being tested further as they now tackle the additional challenge of rising costs.”

While this quarter’s Business Monitor highlights the continued resilience of businesses across the island of Ireland, in order to remain successful, these businesses will need to adapt and innovate. By identifying opportunities for external collaboration, SMEs can benefit from crucial skills, knowledge and expertise provided by external partners.

InterTradeIreland’s Innovation Boost programme can offer you the ability to access this expertise, connecting you with an academic partner so that your business has the knowledge to develop innovative solutions, as well as funding to employ a high calibre science, engineering or technology graduate, so that your business has the internal capability and appropriate skills to deliver your innovation project and better your business.