Northern Ireland firms most successful in winning public contracts

Local firms secure the vast majority of Government construction works contracts in Northern Ireland, when compared to their counterparts in Great Britain.

Finance Minister Nigel Dodds revealed the news following a meeting with the Construction Employers Federation (CEF) today.

The Minister welcomed the success of local firms in securing the vast majority of public sector construction works contracts, and said: “The Executive is committed to continuing investment at unprecedented levels and has introduced a number of measures to assist local firms, including SMEs, to avail of public procurement opportunities, including the introduction of eSourcing NI, an electronic procurement portal.

“A recent estimate indicates that approximately 98% of public sector construction works contracts in Northern Ireland are awarded to local firms, the majority of which are SMEs, providing an additional boost to the local economy.

“These figures compare favourably to the other UK devolved administrations. Indicative figures from Wales suggest that historically under 50% of contracts are awarded to local firms and in Scotland the equivalent figure is under 60%.

“These comparisons show the importance the Executive places on local businesses, in particular SMEs, and the continued commitment from the Executive to help the sector through these challenging times”.

The Minister concluded: “I welcomed the opportunity to meet with CEF today to discuss their concerns about the construction industry and to outline the measures the Executive is taking to assist the sector during the current economic climate.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Central Procurement Directorate (CPD) within the Department of Finance and Personnel is committed to making it easier for suppliers to access government opportunities and has developed eSourcing NI a platform which is free to SMEs and Social Economy Enterprises to register and gives access to business opportunities within the public sector.
2. The system provides web-based technology allowing buyers and suppliers to manage all their interactions online, creating greater transparency, speed and efficiency throughout the tender process. In addition the system provides details of CPD’s current tender opportunities and links to tender opportunities within the other NI Centres of Procurement Expertise.
3. The Procurement Board has recommended that other CoPEs use the eSourcing NI platform thereby creating a single portal for all government procurement activity within Northern Ireland. A roll out programme has been established to achieve the single portal for Northern Ireland.
4. To register on the electronic tender system, please visit www.e-sourcingni.bravosolution.com.
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