Public sector supply chain events to whet appetite of food producers in Wales

Organised by Business Wales, the fully-funded events will be held in the new year and will begin with a virtual session on Social Value in the Public Sector with Ian McGrady, Director of Ellesmere Port-based Edsential Catering, and Huw Griffiths, Procurement Adviser at Gwynedd County Council, on 22 January.

This will be followed by an interactive presentation on 28 January, focusing on Welsh public sector supply chains, particularly NHS procurement, including frameworks and tendering processes.

There will also be a session for food procurement teams and SMEs on joint-bidding and the importance of taking a share in the market, on 11 February. 

Delivered by Jane Lynch, Professor of Procurement at Cardiff Business School, it will explore how to forge relationships and give examples of best practice and collaborative outcomes.

Menter Môn’s Food Project Manager, David Wylie, said: “Via Business Wales we have worked hard to provide independent producers, small businesses, and larger companies in Wales with a platform to break into public sector supply chains. Whether that be local authorities, schools, hospitals or relevant organisations, we want to encourage the use of more local food and drink in their menus.

“Doing so has a major impact on the environment as it lowers their carbon footprint but also supports regional economies across the country, which in turn has a knock-on effect for employment.

“Local produce can also be more nutritious as it hasn’t travelled hundreds or in some case thousands of miles. The benefits are limitless.”

Examples of recent projects include the Larder Cymru Welsh Food for Schools scheme, backed by the Welsh Government Foundational Economy Team, which promotes Welsh produce and producers from across Wales and highlights how, by buying from them, schools will shorten their supply chains, encouraging sustainability, lowering carbon emissions and increasing profitability.

The upcoming sessions will further develop these ideas, notably the workshop on public sector frameworks, which aims to equip attendees with the knowledge and insight into how best to navigate them.

“For some businesses procurement and frameworks will be an unknown quantity, as often they are aimed at larger companies, but by collaborating and working together producers can apply and will have a very good chance of being successful,” said David.

“Focusing on objectives, scope, accreditation and compliance requirements, tendering procedures, and more will be key themes looked at by our experts, who have a lot of experience in these areas and are here to help.”

He added: “The ultimate aim is for more public sector bodies in Wales to be using local produce, supporting local businesses and becoming more sustainable, with the target of net zero and a boost to the economy.

“These workshops will be invaluable for producers at a crucial time for the food sector nationwide, so we hope to see a good mix of procurement, catering, and carbon officers, as well as suppliers and distributors wanting to explore new opportunities.”