A sold out supply chain event designed to connect Scottish SME subcontractors directly with main contractors and industry experts will take place at the Dakota Eurocentral on Thursday September 10.
More than 100 people from the construction sector are expected to be in attendance at the first Meet The Contractor gathering organised by the Skilled Trades Network (STN) since its launch almost a year ago.
Devised by Glasgow-based Pamela Cunningham, a former Tier 1 procurement manager, along with her husband Ross, STN aims to drive industry collaboration, remove barriers for employers, engage young people, and partner with schools to introduce students to trade careers.
The day-long event will feature sessions led by companies including Kier and Balfour Beatty and framework provider, the Scottish Procurement Alliance. In addition to structured networking, there will also be workshops on the skills that subcontractors need to win and deliver work.
“It has taken a while to pull this all together but it promises to be a great opportunity for people in the sector to share knowledge and ideas,” said Pamela, founder of the strategic construction consultancy Growth & Performance Solutions. “Skilled Trades Network was set up to support SME employers. STN’s primary school programme, for example, is introducing the next generation to careers in construction but that only works if the SMEs are in a position to hire. STN supports SME growth through accessible consultancy and monthly sessions with construction experts.
“Meet The Contractor is built on that same principle. Rather than a typical ‘meet the buyer’ type of event where micro businesses meet Tier 1 contractors, whose tenders they’re often not even eligible to bid for, Meet The Contractor is designed to demonstrate intentional SME engagement by putting subcontractors in front of main contractors delivering smaller-scale projects who need more resource to deliver.
“We have 12 exhibitors – some are small businesses who are growing and some are larger organisations who have projects to deliver and need to recruit competent subcontractors.”
