Leading cleaning, maintenance and landscaping companies will be taking part in the Meet the Buyer event being organised by Expo 2020 Dubai on September 20 with an eye on the lucrative Dh11.5 billion ($3.13 billion) of Expo contracts that will be awarded this year alone.

The event will be the perfect opportunity for companies with expertise in facilities management, including small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), to connect with Expo as it starts its search for potential contractors, said the organisers.

The Meet the Buyer series will begin just days after Expo’s Procurement team opens a request for information (RFI) for facilities management suppliers, including both ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ services, and waste management.

‘Soft’ services include cleaning, litter picking, landscaping and pest control, with ‘hard’ services referring to those performed on equipment, such as air conditioning maintenance, repair works and plumbing.

The Expo’s Meet the Buyer series aims to connect company representatives with members of the Expo 2020 Dubai Procurement team and its main contractors to help them take advantage of a wide range of opportunities available in the run-up to Expo.

The RFI period for facilities management is open, offering firms interested in bidding for contracts an opportunity to directly find out about the full facilities management potential at Expo, including immediate and upcoming opportunities, said the organisers.

Attendees will also be able to participate in workshops attended by members of the Expo 2020 Dubai Procurement team, they added.

Manal AlBayat, senior VP of Business Development and Integration at Expo 2020 Dubai, said: "Facilities management is a vital part of putting on a World Expo. Millions will be attending from all over the world and we are looking for firms that can work with us to help ensure that Expo, and the site, runs smoothly."

“Meet the Buyer is a fantastic opportunity for companies, including SMEs, in this sector to find out more and showcase their skills and expertise to members of our Procurement team, so we encourage them to sign up without delay,” explained AlBayat.

Expo 2020 Dubai was committed to supporting SMEs and tapping into their innovation and agility, with 20 per cent of its budget made available to them.

By empowering SMEs and integrating them into the Expo 2020 Dubai supply chain, Expo is ensuring that businesses can take advantage of benefits including long-term job creation and economic growth.

AlBayat pointed out that SMEs are a vital part of the UAE economy and contribute 60 per cent of GDP. "So Expo is committed to encouraging their growth to build an economically stronger UAE and GCC region, as part of its plans for a lasting economic legacy," she noted.

Expo 2020 Dubai’s procurement process ensures SMEs can compete on a level playing field and, so far, more than half of all contracts have been awarded to them, stated AlBayat.

Measures to support SMEs include the removal of requirements for tender bonds or advanced payment guarantees, a 50 per cent advanced payment to SMEs for goods and materials, as well as a 25 per cent contribution ahead of delivery for services.

Companies and individuals interested in taking part in the tender process have been called to register on the Expo 2020 Dubai e-Sourcing portal https://esource.expo2020dubai.ae

Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region. It opens on 20 October, 2020 and closes six months later on 10 April, 2021. Many millions of visitors are expected to come and more than 180 countries will participate at the global destination.

Through its overall theme, ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, Expo will be a platform to foster creativity, innovation and collaboration globally. It will be a celebration of ingenuity that gives people a glimpse into the future, guided by its three pillars: Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability, said AlBayat.

The Meet the Buyer event is the latest Expo initiative to work with businesses before 2020 by facilitating networking through opening its supply chain, encouraging interaction, exchanging ideas, sharing expertise and enabling SMEs to sell and deliver the best solutions, she added.-TradeArabia News Service