Supplier Development Program Announced at Trade Show

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT--Supplier Development Program Announced at Trade Show

The province is helping Nova Scotia companies to get a bigger slice of the $1 billion it spends in public procurement each year.

While 80 per cent of goods, services and construction the provincial government purchases is from Nova Scotia vendors, there is still room to grow. A new Supplier Development Program announced today, May 19, is aimed at encouraging even more sales for Nova Scotia companies.

"The province is committed to working with Nova Scotia suppliers to help them increase access to business opportunities and improve competitiveness in all markets," said Economic Development Minister Ernest Fage.

Mr. Fage announced the Supplier Development Program as Cumberland County vendors gathered at the Cumberland Municipal Building in Nappan. Provincial and municipal governments and school boards met with public sector buyers at what is billed as the first in a series of "reverse trade shows" to be held regionally. Rather than vendors holding a trade show for potential clients to attend, the reverse is true in this case -- the buyer is holding a trade show for the vendor to attend.

"Our goal is to ensure that all public sector procurement is carried out in an open, competitive, fair and consistent manner," said Mr. Fage. "The province is supportive of our vendors and we are organizing our efforts to ensure that local vendors have the opportunity to bid on goods and services required by the public sector."

As promised in the Blueprint, the Supplier Development Program will help small business bid on government goods and services and will provide new outreach services and community workshops on accessing procurement opportunities.

Reverse trade shows are only one component of the program. The Procurement Branch of the Office of Economic Development will continually update its website at www.gov.ns.ca/econ/ as new components evolve in the weeks and months ahead.