38. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the way in which he is facilitating SMEs to participate in public procurement processes. [74411/26]

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to review the public procurement process to make it more transparent and to ensure greater participation from SMEs. As part of this review, my Department engaged extensively with the broad spectrum of Irish enterprise through a public consultation process, stakeholder meetings, a dedicated supplier webinar and three regional roadshows. This culminated in the publication of Procuring for our Future: National Public Procurement Strategy 2026-2030, which sets out a clear ambition to optimise the use of public procurement as an investment mechanism while making it easier for SMEs, particularly micro-enterprises, start-ups and social enterprises, to participate in public procurement. In doing so, the Strategy aims to enhance competition, deliver better value for money and support better public services.

Reflecting this ambition, the Strategy includes a dedicated pillar, Investing in our Enterprise Base, which contains a range of actions designed to reduce barriers for SMEs, improve awareness of public procurement opportunities, strengthen buyer-supplier engagement, enhance access to procurement information, and support 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, with a further event planned for Mullingar on 18 November, and preparations for a national Supplier Expo in 2027.

The Strategy builds on the significant work undertaken by my Department in recent years to promote SME participation in public procurement. The Office of Government Procurement (OGP), which sits within my Department, has developed a range of guidance and practical supports aimed at promoting SME participation in public procurement. These resources encourage public buyers to adopt proportionate and SME-friendly procurement practices and engage more actively with suppliers at all stages of the procurement process. Complementing this work, the OGP also provides a range of supports for suppliers through its dedicated Sell to Government webpage, which offers practical guidance and signposts businesses to resources designed to help them compete for public sector contracts.

The implementation of the Strategy will be informed by ongoing engagement with the SME Advisory Group, which is chaired by Minister of State Feighan and brings together representatives from across the enterprise sector to provide practical insight on barriers to participation and opportunities to improve SME access to public procurement. Alongside the introduction of supplier sentiment surveys, this engagement will help ensure that progress is monitored and that the measures introduced under the Strategy continue to reflect the experiences and needs of SMEs. Working in partnership with colleagues across Government and the business community, I am committed to realising the full potential of public procurement as an investment mechanism to strengthen and grow our enterprise base and generate wider economic benefit.