Unlocking Opportunities with Responsible Business

Join us for the next Minority Business Matters in-person event in collaboration with London South Bank University. Designed to help ethnic minority business owners become procurement-ready and gain practical tips on integrating social and environmental responsibility into their businesses.

The event will welcome you to connect with procurement specialists from the private and public sectors, as well as academics from London’s top universities, to discuss the challenges of becoming ‘buyer ready’. You’ll learn how adopting responsible business practices can enhance your credibility with corporate and public sector buyers, and how this can open doors to new opportunities.

Hosted by London South Bank University (LSBU), this event is a collaboration between the Inclusive supply chain project and the Minority Business Matters (MBM) programme, supported by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It’s funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, giving you access to a wealth of free support such as procurement advisory, business growth resources, and more networking opportunities.

“Events like this help to demystify some of the procurement processes employed by larger organisations to mitigate risks and achieve ROI, and break down entry barriers for small businesses” - Nadia Forde, Delivery Lead for Minority Business Matters

Why Attend?

• Learn about the new Procurement Act, which supports the local economy and community resilience.
• Discover ways to enhance your competitiveness in the markets that prioritise community wealth and sustainability.
• Start creating a strategy for integrating responsible business to enhance your credibility with potential corporate and public sector buyers.
• Expand your network with purpose and unlock new opportunities by building relationships with corporate and public sector procurement teams and fellow SME-owners.

Key Takeaways

• Increase your understanding of what it means to be a responsible business, particularly from social value and sustainability perspectives.

• Learn what corporate and public sector procurement professionals are looking for when assessing SMEs’ suitability to supply their organisation.

• Increase your awareness of free resources available to you to reach a sufficient level of compliance.

• Start formulating an action plan how to demonstrate that you are a responsible business to future buyers of your products and services.

Who Should Attend?

This event is perfect for ethnic minority business owners and entrepreneurs looking to become procurement-ready and enhance their business credibility.

Due to the nature of our funding, we welcome trading ethnic minority owned SMEs that are registered in London (as per your Companies House record) to this exciting event.

Agenda

15.30 - Arrival, registration and networking over tea/coffee

16.00- Welcome from the moderator and hosts

LSBU and MBM – the pillars of responsible business and the focus of the day: Social Value and Socio-Environmental Impact

Brief introduction to inclusive Supply Chain Project: Practical guide to creating a more inclusive and socially sustainable supply chain.

16.20 - An introduction to Procurement Act: will new regulations lead to new opportunities?

16.50 - Q&A with the audience

17.00 - BREAK

17.10 - Panel discussion:

What does social value mean to SMEs and what story corporate and public sector buyers are looking to hear?

17.55 - Group work and networking: What does social value mean to your SME?

18.20 - Teaser presentation on next workshops on sustainability and environmental impact.

18.30 - Summary, conclusions and closing remarks from the hosts

18.45 - Refreshments and networking

20.00 - Event closes

What is Minority Business Matters?

Minority Business Matters is a business support project that helps ethnic minority businesses (EMBs) in London become ready to do business with leading brands and the public sector. The project is a partnership between Heart of the City and MSDUK and is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

What is the Inclusive supply chain project?

The Inclusive Supply Chain Programme is working with London South Bank University to improve access to London's Supply Chains. The programme supports local under-represented SME's to become supply chain ready by building their internal capabilities to meet the procurement criteria of larger businesses.

Speaker Profiles

TBC

Host or Publisher Heart of the City