Are you an Irish business looking for UK contracts?
Every year, the government of Ireland spends €8.5bn procuring goods and services. This includes everything from pens to hospital beds, which means the opportunities to win business with the public service are vast and ongoing. However, opportunities for Irish businesses to win public sector tender contracts overseas should not be overlooked.
Irish businesses are in luck with the sheer volume of public sector contract opportunities available in the UK. Although many are worried about the uncertain future for businesses in the wake of Brexit, the UK public sector still spends around €316 billion every year on procurement, making it the largest in Europe by value. Irish businesses should not miss out on the tender opportunities it offers.
Below is a breakdown of UK public sector contracts by area.
UK contract hotspots 2019
London: 20,007 contract notices
North West England: 16,969 contract notices
South East England: 15,435 contract notices
South West England: 15,385 contract notices
Yorkshire and the Humber: 14,869 contract notices
Scotland: 14,645 contract notices
Notable regions
London
As expected, London has the highest number of contract opportunities. Public sector spend in London has increased for the last two consecutive years, with a total of £91.6 billion spent in 2018. The region is a great place for picking up construction contracts on housing schemes, including fast-growing social housing projects. It is also a hotspot for transport projects, with the latest reports showing that London is set for three times more transport investment than the North of England, adding up to £2,389 more per head.
North of England
The region is a focus for public sector infrastructure projects, with major road network schemes currently in the works. Transport for the North (TfN) recently submitted a bid for £700m of investment into northern roads over the next five years. As well as this, the Northern Powerhouse Rail initiative investment is making progress, creating 34,000 more jobs and a further 54,523 jobs in manufacturing roles. This makes the region a good area of opportunity for Irish construction businesses.
Scotland
Scotland has shown a rise in digital connectivity, such as capitalising on 4G and 5G capability, which will boost the economy by as much as £17bn and will help remote rural areas in Scotland secure future investments. This, in turn, will help growth in public sector contracts. Scotland is also great choice for upcoming transport contracts. The Highland Mainline transport project was completed in March 2019, with the second phase costing £55m. The government recently announced a further £13.25m support fund for public, community and third sector organisations in order to help deliver low carbon transport hubs.
Find public sector procurement opportunities
Irish businesses are in a good position to win contracts in these regions across the UK, especially low-hanging fruit projects across the public sector. Supply 2Gov subscribers can access tender alerts for the areas above and more.
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