Enterprise Ireland – Best Connected -

You may have been reading recently that the contract for helicopter Search and Rescue services was recently signed by the Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey for a value of up to €500m over the period 2012-2022.

The bid manager behind that success,  named Denis Thornton was entrusted by CHC to manage a contract bid that involved an incredibly complex set of requirements to deliver a successful bid. 

Utilising his procuring experience as a former UK Ministry of Defense Procurement official, technical knowledge of procurement requirements and experience managing one of the largest contracts signed this year Denis has developed a bid development methodologies and a software system known as the Evince system©.

He is now passing along some of this knowledge for free! He has created a series of 20 short videos and an eBook offering concise pointers and advice on public procurement in topics such as the following;
(1) Risk Management Plan development.
(2) General Do’s and Dont’s.
(3) Executive Summary Development Advice.
To access this information plus a free interactive webinar on the topic of the ‘5 Most Dangerous Trends Facing Irish Companies In The Public Procurement Market Today’ just follow the link below and go through the free sign up process.

Click Here

We are always keen to hear feedback on the services and ideas we highlight through best connected. Please spare a moment to reply to this post when you have had a quick look at the site and let us know what your impressions are.

When most people think of the Green Agenda, factories billowing smoke into the atmosphere come to mind, however software too will soon come under Green scrutiny when looking considering Government contracts.

Trends
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In keeping with my short notice alerts regarding Public Procurement events of direct interest to the software sector The Tipperary Engineers Forum is running a two day workshop on Public Procurement best practises in the Tipperary Institute of Technology.

The workshop is being run by bid management who are the same company which deliver the hugely successful Go2Tender workshop series on behalf of Intertrade Ireland.

Why Go?

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I know that it is a bit late in the day to be posting this however the tender team will be running a Public Procurement Seminar in Limerick this Thursday the 1st of July.

It seeks to address vital issues that arise when SME’s seek to engage with the public sector such as the question of ‘branding’ bids, selling your company and personal experience  and best practise solutions to in-house tender management. For more details of course content and booking details please; click here

The seminar costs €190 and runs for half a day in Limericks Strand Hotel and starts at 1pm. Whilst it is short notice anyone from the software community that happens to find themselves in Limerick on Thursday with a few spare hours could certainly do worse than to attend this seminar!

About the Tender Team
The tender team is “A team of 16 experts skilled in all areas of bid support and business development including bid consultants, ISO specialists, marketing experts, business coaches, project managers, senior graphic designers and website developers”-Tender Team Website

The Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) run by the UK’s Technology Strategy Board is an absolutely vital and ground breaking mechanism by which businesses can bring their research and ideas to market through use of public procurement.

What it is & how it works
In a nutshell the SBRI is an initiative from the British government which identifies a specific opportunity or need within a government department.
(1) It then invites companies usually SME’s to enter an idea to fill that need. The ideas are then screened.
(2) The more successful ideas are then passed along to a feasibility stage which is fully funded to £100k for a period of 6 months.
(3) After this phase is complete then most promising ideas are selected and brought forward to a development and prototyping phase with limits of £1m and 2 years.
(4) This phase then leads to complete product which is ready for market and the competitive procurement process.

Benefits
The benefits are many. Companies who would normally not have a chance of winning contracts but who have ideas addressing specific needs are essentially given a completely funded mechanism to research and develop their ideas.

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Public Procurement has finally hit the big time! Enterprise Ireland’s multiple award winning publication The Market ran an article entitled “The Winds of Change in Irish Public sector Procurement” which focussed on the ever increasing drive toward reforming the way in which the Public Sector Procures and as importantly how they interact with the market.

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Sean MacEntee has a problem. He runs the Regional Development Centre in Dundalk, and due to the success of some of the companies based there they have now ‘graduated’ from the incubator space in the centre. Sean is now looking for startups and established companies to fill the space. As Sean says;

2009 was a significant year for incubation both in the RDC and at  Millmount, Drogheda with a total of 7 companies ‘graduating’ from both Centres. We are currently actively recruiting suitable entrepreneurs/start-up companies for both the RDC and Millmount. In addition, we  are also interested in speaking to established companies who may wish to set up a separate R&D facility in one of our Centres.

Some of the Enterprise Ireland clients graduating or hosting their R&D facilities at the Regional Development Centre are;

• Armac Systems who specialise in optimisation  software for spare parts for the aircraft industry.
• Big Mountain  Productions – Film Production company.
• Ergo (Link to  Best Connected Client Profile) who host their R&D centre in Dundalk.
• Intact Software who also host their R&D at the centre.
• Redmere - Smart Cables for better connections (more info about Redmere from the RDC blog)

Sean is available at sean-dot-macentee-at-dkit-dot-ie. Of course, there are twelve other incubation centres around the country if you’re looking for a place closer to you. Details are below.

We are pleased to announce the resumption of the Go2Tender workshop series which has been designed and run on behalf of InterTrade Ireland by Bid Management an Irish company which specialises in tender consultancy for both the public and private sectors.

What is Go2Tender all about?
Simply put Go2Tender seeks to provide companies with the skills to successfully negotiate the complex tendering processes for public sector contracts over the space of two non consecutive days. If this was not enough there is then a subsequent half day of in company consultancy which can, in certain circumstances, be extended to three days at no extra charge. The consultant will take the client through an actual tender

They have been highly successful with participating companies winning over €18m worth of contracts in recent times. The Workshop only costs €105 and is fantastic value for money.

The sectors I have targeted for attendance at the event include (1) the various software areas, (2) clean tech, engineering and construction, (3) life sciences and (4) Business Services. Interest is very high so book ASAP to avoid being disappointed.

We are also planning to have an Enterprise Ireland representative present at each of the workshops so that we can discuss how we are assisting our companies to gain business in the public sector.

If you have an interest in gaining business in the public sector in The Republic or Northern Ireland and would like to attend please contact Louise Carroll by clicking the link or call (01) 441 7155 for an application form.

Dates and Locations:
(1) Galway: Clayton Hotel; 9th & 16th of June.
(2) Mullingar: Bloomfield House Hotel; 18th & 25th of May.
(3) Derry:The Everglades Hotel; 5th & 12th of May.

This case study is based on the correlation and analysis of 138 contract award notices that the HSE have posted on eTenders in the years 2008 and 2009. In total this study covers contracts with a declared combined total of around 640Million Euro for 2008 & 2009 for 89 contracts which declared their total value.

The HSE is Ireland’s largest procuring organisation which spends in the region of 4Billion Euro per annum on various goods, services and works. However less than 10% of this expenditure appears on eTenders due to various below threshold spends and recurring contracts etc.

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It is one month to the day (at the time of writing) since  the Forum on Public Procurement.  The public sector buying community was very well represented with officials attending on behalf of (1) the RPA, (2) Bus Eireann, (3) The defense Forces, (4) Department of Social Protection/& Family Affaris, (5) Bord Gais Eireann, (6) Various Higher Education Institutions and (7) The HSE  amongst many others.

It offered a stark reminder that the future of Ireland’s economic recovery is more and more inextricably linked to the increasingly professional and open nature of public procurement both in Ireland and in the European Union.

Some Quick Points to Bear in Mind: EU

• Over 150,000 Contracts were advertised on an EU wide basis in 2009.
• On Average there were only 5 applicants per contract. In anyone’s language those odds are attractive as regards securing business.
• Legislation is in place to allow contracting authorities to favour new, emerging or clean technologies in the issuing of their contracts such as through the use of full life cycle costing for example to take into account overall energy costs through the entire life of the product. This reflects the emerging emphasis on green procurement.

Some Quick Points to Bear in Mind:  Irish Procurement

• Ireland has disproportionately favoured suppliers domiciled outside the country by awarding a massive 17.7% of Public Procurement contracts to them which is an incredible statistic given that the EU average is 1.5%.
• In 2008 there were an average of 5 applications per contract award notice on eTenders for the HSE (Ireland’s largest procuring agency) across their entire product portfolio. 
• Life cycle costing accounted for the third highest of  average criteria in 2008 with 17% of overall criteria and 20% in 2009 for judging the award of contracts on eTenders. This is only beaten by various measures of product quality and use of initial measures of price.

*Figures relating to HSE procurement patterns taken from EI study of Contract award notices on eTenders.

With the downturn continuing to grip the nation, more and more Irish SME’s are turning to the public procurement market to source new business opportunities both in Ireland and abroad.

Are you involved in the buying process or a potential supplier to the public sector? To find out how our dedicated public procurement team can help you please email this address:

value4money@enterprise-ireland.com

We are pleased to announce the completion of the Life Sciences Stream of Best Connected. There are almost exactly 200 companies in this guide which are broken up into 7 cohorts of companies which are aligned by sub sector.

The format of the profiles for each company differs slightly from the Public Sector Software and Financial Software Streams in that their Standards and Certificates are given specific mention and their company contact details are included for direct linkages.

An IT for Health stream complete with sub sectors will also appear in the coming weeks.

If you would like to speak to an Enterprise Ireland member of staff relating to a specific company then please, Click Here and enter the companies name.

pTools (Enterprise Ireland Client Profile) travelled on the joint EI – Microsoft connections visit to the US West Coast late last year. A key part of the work Enterprise Ireland does with Irish Companies is how to sell through partner channels, so it’s good to see an Irish Software Company notching up another success.

From Adam Maguire of the Irish Times;

IRISH COMPANY pTools has adapted its software to enable Lincolnshire Police to communicate with the local community via Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

The police force, which serves a population of more than 640,000, worked with the firm to add social media functionality as part of an effort to reach locals in new ways.

Lincolnshire Police already uses pTools-designed content management software (CMS) for its website and intranet, but this change allows it to automatically broadcast notices across a range of platforms. The force uses the technology to warn people of scams or local crimes, update them on traffic, or request information.

“The community aspect of the internet has grown so much in importance that a public service, like policing, should engage online,” said Lee Annett, customer relationship and business development manager at pTools.

“Content is at the heart of the social networking experience, so enabling pTools software to distribute content through social media has been a priority for us.”

Mr Annett said the company worked closely with the IT and communications staff from the force and adapted the software around their needs. Social media functionality is now a standard part of the firm’s CMS package.

The firm also provides software to the Department of An Taoiseach, the HSE and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment last year published their 10 step guide to Innovative Public Procurement. This guide outlines key stages in the development and implementation of a successful public procurement contract.

Enterprise Ireland’s New Public Procurement Mandate is specifically mentioned at point four where buyers are called on to “find out what the market can provide”.  Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment 10 Step Guide

Using Enterprise Ireland’s extensive knowledge of Ireland’s indigenous SME’s a public sector procurer can seek market engagement at an early stage in the procurement process so as to allow the emergence of new and innovative solutions to meet new public sector needs.

Click Here for the full guide to innovative procurement

Are you involved in the buying process for a public sector organiation? Find out how Enterprise Ireland’s dedicated Public Procurement Team can help you by replying to this post.

If you’re a software company, cracking the US Market is hard. One option is to work with a partner, but finding a partner is the easy part. Understanding the partner, and making it successful for both parties takes a lot of time and effort. Microsoft is the partner of choice for many software companies, which is why Enterprise Ireland has been running joint events with Microsoft to enhance the partnering experience.

The latest, and one of the most important joint Microsoft – EI events, is Paul Solski’s visit to Ireland. It will be useful for existing Microsoft Partners and companies partnering with other vendors both in the US and other key export markets. There will be a public event ‘Succeeding in the US Market – Best Practices for Software Companies’, 23rd March 2010 at Enterprise Ireland, Eastpoint , Dublin.

Paul Solski is the Managing Director of The OpenBorders Group in North America. Together with The OpenBorders Group executive partners in Germany and the UK, he build Microsoft’s Open Borders Program which helps Microsoft ISVs expand internationally, four years ago. Paul worked at Microsoft in the roles of ISV Strategy Director and Dynamics ISV Sales Director from 2004 to 2008. Paul has over 25 year experience in international business development having worked in prior roles at HP, Intel, Compaq, Digital and SCO distribution in Australia, Asia and USA. He holds an Electrical Engineering degree from the University of NSW in Sydney, Australia.

If you are interested in attending this event, please contact Irene[dot]Sadleir[at]Enterprise-Ireland[dot]com .

Full Agenda

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The Supply National SME Engagement Programme is sponsored by the National low value contract portal of the UK supply2.gov.uk. It forms part of a national strategy to increase SME engagement with the Public sector market worth around £175bn annually.

According to BiP Solutions nearly three quarters of all UK operating SMEs never or rarely tender for the 3,000 publicly tendered contracts available in the UK each month. – BiP Solutions

These workshops, designed to increase SME engagement with the UK public sector are delivered in each of the regions highlighted in the picture below and deal extensively with the following themes;
(1) Creating a Competitive Advantage
(2) Winning Business Through London 2012
(3) Understanding Pre-Qualification Questionnaires
(4) Effective Tender Writing
(5) Meet the Buyer (Details TBC)

These workshops are delivered by BiP Solutions on behalf of Supply2Gov and are charged at a flat rate of £75 each. 

In common with most people coming from a Software background, I’ve often been guilty of focussing on ‘the latest technology’ to the detriment of some of the real opportunites in the market. With both Irish and key exports market ageing (and set to grey further in coming years), one of these real opportunities is in the 50+ market.

Which explains my interest in the Business of Ageing Conference (full programme), being held in the Royal Hosptial Kilmainham, Dublin on the 3rd March. Some quotes from the  conference organizers;

• Wealth and revenues in Europe of persons over 65 is over €3tr
• Wealth and revenues of the baby boomer population in the US is over $2tr
• The declared revenues of the over 65’s in Ireland is €6.6bn
• People age 50 and older control more than 50% of the total U.S. discretionary income
• The discretionary spending power of Australians aged 45+ is predicted to be $218 billion in 2009, 31% more than adults under 45.
• 50-plus households in the UK spend around £250 billion annually, which equates to over 40% of national household spending.
• In Canada the over 50’s control three-quarters of all the personal wealth in the country; buy 30% of all food consumed in the home; have more than $7 billion in retirement savings; are 97% debt-free, and dine out frequently.
• The United States Census Bureau showed that while 40% of the United States population was 50 or older, this group held 75% of the nation’s financial assets and did 55% of all consumer spending

Got your interest? More details and registration for the conference are on the website:  www.businessofageing.com

While we’re at it, here are some Enterprise Ireland clients already looking at this market, in the  IT for Health sector.

The Forum on Public Procurement is an independent not for profit body which represents around 1,000 individuals and organisations affected by public procurement.

“Its principal objective is to promote best practice and offer support to both buyers and sellers operating in the public procurement market in Ireland. FPP offers an independent objective voice in the area of public procurement” – Forum on Public Procurement website

This year, the Forum’s annual conference takes place on the 25th of February in the Westbury Hotel, Dublin. It is to be chaired by David McWilliams and themed ‘Promoting Recovery through Public Procurement’.

Enterprise Ireland’s Stephen Hughes will address the conference at 14.40 on the theme of ‘developing suppliers internationally to supply locally’. This address will focus on Enterprise Ireland’s Public Procurement priorities as regards developing our clients foot print in the public sector.

Many of Enterprise Ireland’s client companies have been extremtly successful as regards exporting goods and services to public sectors around the world but have however had few business dealings with the Irish public sector. This address intends to highlight the role Enterprise Ireland will play as regards bridging the gap between our client companies and the public sector both in Ireland and Internationally.

For registration details and information regarding the other speakers at the conference.

Click Here

Enterprise Ireland continues to assist client companies seeking commercial funding. As part of these efforts , over 100 venture capital investors from around the world met in November, with 31 leading Irish cleantech and software companies at the Enterprise Ireland International Investor Forum in London.  This is a key event in the annual calendar for some of the most exciting and innovative companies emerging in Ireland to showcase their businesses and present new and attractive investment opportunities to investors from the UK, mainland Europe and Japan.

This is the second year of the event, which has seen the numbers participating increase significantly.  At the day-long event the Irish companies make their ‘pitch’ to the investors, and will then take part in over 280 one-to-one meetings with individual investors to explore specific investment opportunities.  This is a real opportunity for the Irish companies to showcase the depth and quality of technology being commercialised from Ireland to established and respected global venture capitalists and other investors.  It is also an opportunity to broaden the international profile of both the Irish cleantech and software sectors.

Opening the event, Feargal Ó Móráin, Director of Innovation, Commercialisation and Investment at Enterprise Ireland said:

“This Forum is a very significant event in terms of forging links between Irish companies and the global investment community.  This is a key objective for Enterprise Ireland and we see it as critical to securing continued growth finance for innovative and ambitious Irish companies. The availability of equity finance is a fundamental requirement for the setting-up, growth and development of new knowledge intensive businesses and we see the international investment community as being a critical part of the funding ecosystem.  Enterprise Ireland has put significant effort into developing these links and networks across the international investment community and attracting this calibre of international investor to the Forum is an example of what can be achieved.”

The 31 companies participating in the Forum represent some of the best of Ireland’s cleantech and software innovators.  These sectors are expanding rapidly in Ireland and are generating new technology-based companies that can excel in world markets.  The types of businesses being showcased include new-generation bio-fuels, inventive solar solutions and technologies to harness ocean energy and deliver electricity to the on-shore grid.  There are also software technologies for energy monitoring and control, and a novel approach to manage household and industrial waste. Each of the companies participating at the event has demonstrated a focussed and committed approach to research and development.

A full list of the companies participating is available here (pdf)

The World Customs Organization (WCO) and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, Ireland are delighted to bring the WCO IT Conference & Exhibition to Dublin, Ireland from the 28-30th of April 2010.

“This will be the first time the conference has been held in Europe since 2002 and the meeting’s well-established reputation for relevant content, enhanced business opportunities and outstanding high-level networking will continue to be well-served through the conference theme, ‘Fusing Data to Transform Business Processes’ and the outstanding destination” 
Official website of the 2010 WCO IT Conference and Exhibition

Last years conference in Morocco attracted an attendence of 500 delegates from the following areas:

• Customs Authorities
• IT Sector
• Broader Business Community
• Governmental and Trade Organizations
• Lending Institutions
• Representatives from Other Border Regulatory Agencies
• Others Involved in the International Trade Arena

Registration details and forms for this conference can be found below: 

Click here

InterTrade Ireland’s highly successful Go2Tender Workshop series is running towards conclusion. There are now just two final two day workshops left, one in Cork on the 22nd and 23rd of February and another in Galway with dates TBC. The combined cost of running the programme plus work place consultancy is €105.

“The Programme consists of two days of workshops with 1/2 day mentoring for every participant company. Eligible participant companies can also apply for up to a further three days of mentoring from an experienced consultant to assist with actual tender development, scoping markets and tailored advice and guidance. Companies will also be able to avail of:
• A tender help line
• A tender alert service
• Assistance with consortia building” – InterTrade Ireland

To date the 234 companies who participated in the Workshop have won a combined €17/18 million worth of public sector contracts. There are a small number of places left on each event.

For more information and application details for the Workshops click below.
Click Here