Service to Buyers

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Compete North East has an excellent track record in matching buyers with the right suppliers. It has an ever-evolving database of high quality information on over 2,500 suppliers and stages regular events at which buyers and suppliers can make contact and build productive relationships.

Compete North East offers a number of services that help buyers develop supply chains and find the right suppliers with minimal effort. Our ‘Meet the Buyer’ events are run to tightly controlled themes, ensuring high quality and appropriate suppliers are recruited to meet with buyers.

Through its programmes supporting prime contractors, Compete North East has worked with numerous suppliers and subcontractors to meet the needs of specific projects, such as building and property repair initiatives. We provide contractors with the opportunity to meet community engagement targets during the tendering process and delivery stage of the contract.

 Our strong connection with the North East SME base has enabled us to gain valuable insight and understanding of the barriers and development needs smaller businesses face. In turn, this helped us show prime contractors how to enhance their working relationships with the supply chain.

 As a result of our development programmes, Compete North East has been able to build a comprehensive, credible database of suppliers across a wide range of expertise – providing greater competition and choice. Our comprehensive supplier base also provides a ready chain of more innovative and niche products and solutions, increasing sustainability in the supply chain and offering buyers greater choice from a competitive market.

 We also work with SMEs to encourage and facilitate collaboration, providing a single source solution and reducing the number of direct contracts buyers have to award.

Case Study: Tier One Olympic Catering Contractors’ Project (October 2011 ongoing)

Compete North East has worked with three catering prime contractors to identify gaps in their supply chain and to encourage regional sourcing of SME suppliers. ARAMARK, Compass Group UK & Ireland and Arena Leisure identified 32 regional food producers and suppliers to meet with. All of the prime contractors have agreed that they would most likely be doing business with the suppliers that they had met through Compete North East projects and all believed that working with Compete North East has supported their SME engagement requirements.