NI Water is hosting a Supplier Engagement Event later this month in Antrim.

The event, on Wednesday 24 October at the Dunadry Hotel, is organised in partnership with InterTradeIreland. It will also help support the utility's target to release contracts worth a total £250 million in the next 18 months.

A number of topics will be discussed at the event, including a focus on:

• Mobile Work Management

• Water and Waste Residuals

• Networks Maintenance

This year NI Water is also seeking suppliers with new ideas and innovative solutions.

Ronan Larkin, NI Water's Director of Finance and Regulation, explained: "NI Water has been focusing on how to make its infrastructure more understood and relevant to the customers we serve. There are a number of exciting initiatives happening to help achieve the company's vision of becoming a 'world-class' water utility, capable of meeting future customer expectations at a sustainably lower cost. We want to continue to build relationships with great suppliers working alongside us helping us to achieve these ambitious goals. 

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"A new feature at our Supplier Engagement Event this year is a partnership with InterTrade Ireland to introduce a training zone to help businesses understand the tendering process and also the eTendersNI portal.

"Also new this year will be the opportunity for small companies to meet some of our strategic contractors and I am delighted that Meridian Utilities and Grahams Facilities Management will be available for potential sub contractors to meet.

"InterTrade Ireland and Invest NI will be on hand to provide advice, particularly in the area of consortium bid opportunities.

"The opportunities for local companies really are tremendous – for every £1 that NI Water invests, the wider knock-on effect in our community is almost double that.        

"I would strongly encourage the business community, whatever your focus, to come along and meet our procurement teams."

Caroline Sweeney, Public Tendering Programme Manager from InterTradeIreland added: "This event is a great opportunity for SMEs to meet procurement teams who may, ultimately, be making decisions about whether companies can meet tender requirements so attendance really could be game-changing. From networking and meeting buyers, insights and critical information may come to light that could help a tender to rise above others.

"InterTradeIreland can support organisations throughout the tendering process and we believe that there is plenty of room in the market for SMEs.

"We also commend NI Water for their progressive and forward-thinking approach to skills-building, recognising the breadth of talents that are on their very doorstep; the capabilities of companies across the island really is world-class. 

"InterTradeIreland has a range of business supports and we have helped hundreds of companies through the tendering process. With the option of consortia building, a lack of resources need not be a barrier to strategic growth and development through tendering."

(CM/MH)