Businesses in Bury will be given the opportunity to meet those responsible for the Local Authority’s procurement at an event jointly hosted by Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Bury Council.

Taking place on Thursday 26th January at the Fusiliers Museum, this lunchtime event will enable businesses to meet representatives from different departments within Bury Council’s Strategic Procurement team. Various representatives will be on-hand to provide advice and information, including: architects for buildings maintenance and construction contracts, engineers from the works/highways department, and individuals responsible for adult care and children’s services.

The event has been developed and led by a steering group consisting of private sector representatives, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Bury Council, to help businesses in Bury to understand what procurement opportunities are available with the Council and how the tendering process works. There will also be the opportunity to learn about the Council’s e-tendering system, The Chest.

Commenting on the event, Michelle Geoghegan, Bury Local Policy Manager at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, said: “Through our consultations with member businesses in Bury, the Chamber has learnt that tendering for public sector contracts has been an issue for a number of firms in the past, and in particular, gaining access to the individuals responsible for procurement, as well as getting to grips with the tendering process itself. Through working with public sector organisations, such as Bury Council, we are hoping to make the process easier and more accessible for businesses and raise awareness of the opportunities that are open to them.”

The event takes place on Thursday 26th January 2012 from 11.30am-2.30pm at Fusiliers Museum, Moss Street, Bury, BL9 0DF.

Specific tendering opportunities for 2012/3 include:
* ICT (maintenance and support – specific systems for schools)
* Environmental (waste/graffiti removal)
* Building Construction Materials
* Transport (Home to school and school swimming)
* Facilities Management (print and design/PAT testing/window cleaning)
* Works (individual projects/minor repairs)
* Catering (drinks/greengrocery/prepared produce/catering services)
* Social Care (domiciliary care)

Please note this event is not being run by Ocurem, and Ocurem are not responsible for this event.