Helping Southwestern Valley Businesses Sell To Public Sector

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT--Helping Southwestern Valley Businesses Sell To Public Sector

The province is inviting vendors from Bridgewater to Yarmouth and from Digby, Annapolis and Windsor to sell more to the public sector.

On Wednesday, Oct. 20, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., public sector representatives will hold a trade show in the Annapolis Basin Conference Centre during a Small Business Week and National Co- operative Week conference hosted by the Nova Scotia Co-operative Council.

Eighty per cent of the $1 billion that the provincial government spends annually on goods, services and construction is purchased from Nova Scotia businesses. There is still room to grow, however, and the Supplier Development Program announced earlier this summer is encouraging more Nova Scotia companies to sell to government.

"Meeting with vendors to talk about opportunities for sales in the public sector is one valuable part of the new Supplier Development Program," said Economic Development Minister Ernest Fage. "Vendors meeting one-on-one with buyers gives them a great opportunity to connect and talk about business opportunities in public sector procurement."

Representatives of the following federal, provincial and municipal government organizations will attend the trade show: Acadia University; Université Sainte-Anne-Collège; Health authorities from the South Shore, South West Nova and Annapolis Valley; Annapolis Valley Regional School Board; Public Works and Government Services Canada; Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations: Nova Scotia Business Registry; District of Digby; Municipality of the County of Kings; Nova Scotia Business Inc.; Nova Scotia Transportation and Public Works; and Office of Economic Development: procurement division and community and rural development division.

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 business opportunities with government.

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