Minister Higgins welcomes thousands to Irelands first Government Supply Expo

Thousands of small and medium business owners have today attended the largest all-island procurement event of the year, Ireland’s first Government Supply Expo 2025.

Hosted by the Office of Government Procurement in partnership with InterTradeIreland, the expo was held to support SMEs as well as social and micro-enterprises to tender for and win government contracts, bringing together public sector buyers and suppliers from across the island of Ireland.

The event saw over 4,000 registered attendees and more than 40 exhibitors, including major organisations such as the HSE, ESB, and Irish Rail. The programme featured expert-led sessions across three stages designed to support all-island trade and increase SME access to public procurement.

Minister of State for Public Procurement, Digitalisation and eGovernment, Emer Higgins, welcomed attendees, saying;

“Billions of Euro each year are spent on delivering public services for the people of Ireland. Government is actively seeking to help SMEs and indigenous companies to grow their businesses, and selling to government is a fantastic way to achieve this. Today’s Expo is a unique opportunity for business owners to meet public buyers, learn about the tendering process, and access resources that make participation in public procurement easier and more accessible.”

As well as supporting small businesses in public procurement, the expo was held to support all-island trade by helping suppliers navigate cross-border procurement and leverage InterTradeIreland’s supports for growth, including their Go-2-Tender programme.

Colin McCabrey, Director of Trade at InterTradeIreland said:

“It’s really encouraging to see so many businesses at this landmark procurement event in the Aviva Stadium today. Through our award-winning Go-2-Tender programme, we’re making it easier for small businesses to compete, win contracts and grow across the island of Ireland. Public procurement is not just for large companies, it’s the perfect opportunity for SMEs to build resilience and scale, and we’re here to support them every step of the way. It’s great to have Construction and Procurement Delivery from Northern Ireland represented here today also, ensuring that businesses can access public contracts throughout the island.”

For more information on selling to government visit gov.ie/OGP, for information on InterTradeIreland’s Go-2-Tender programme, visit www.intertradeireland.com/go-2-tender.