194. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the way in which the National Public Procurement Strategy will increase participation by micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in public procurement; and whether there will be specific targets or measurable outcomes for SME participation. [66290/26]

Procuring for our future: National Public Procurement Strategy 2026-2030, Ireland's first National Public Procurement Strategy, was informed by an extensive consultation process, which included significant engagement with the broad spectrum of Irish businesses, including through a public consultation process, stakeholder meetings, a dedicated supplier webinar and three regional roadshows.

Reflecting a commitment in the Programme for Government, the Strategy aims to make it easier for SMEs, particularly micro-enterprises, start-ups and social enterprises, to participate in public procurement. This is supported through a dedicated pillar, Investing in our Enterprise Base, which includes a number of actions aimed at reducing barriers to participation, increasing supplier awareness of public procurement opportunities, strengthening engagement between buyers and suppliers, improving access to procurement information and supporting a diverse and competitive supplier base.

A number of initiatives are already underway to support this objective, including a dedicated programme of SME webinars, a regional SME Breakfast Briefing in Sligo on 8 September and preparations for a national Supplier Expo in 2027. This builds on the success of Ireland's first National Supplier Expo in 2025, which attracted almost 3,000 attendees and demonstrated the strong appetite among businesses across Ireland to engage with public procurement opportunities.

While the Strategy does not set a specific participation target for SMEs, as part of the implementation process, each action within the Strategy is supported by a key performance indicator and associated reporting arrangements. Progress on actions intended to support SME participation will be monitored through these KPIs and overseen as part of the Strategy's implementation framework, which will include continued engagement with the SME Advisory Group. In addition, the Strategy provides for the development of a supplier sentiment survey which will help assess suppliers' experiences of engaging with public procurement and provide an important mechanism for measuring whether efforts to improve accessibility, participation and engagement are delivering tangible benefits for businesses.

Ireland already performs strongly in terms of SME participation in public procurement, with SMEs winning more than four out of every five contracts advertised on eTenders last year. Further success in this area will be measured through the delivery of the Strategy's actions and associated KPIs, ongoing engagement with suppliers and representative bodies and the insights gathered through the supplier sentiment survey. Through the implementation of the Strategy, the Government will continue to make public procurement more accessible, strengthen SME participation and support businesses of all sizes to compete for and secure public contracts.