Expo 2020 says it will start the launch of tenders aimed at small businesses, for the manufacture of licensed products.
Expo licensees can buy the right to produce an expected 5,000 different Expo branded products, which will be sold to visitors during the six months of Expo 2020, as well as online, and through dedicated stores across the UAE.
Last year Expo 2020 announced that 20 per cent of its budget – more than Dh5 billion – would be spent through SMEs.
This week Expo 2020 and the Department of Economic Development hosted a series of workshops explaining how SMEs can become official Expo 2020 licensees.
Expo 2020 said it expects to start launching tenders for licensed products on a rolling basis in February and March, and the process would continue through the year into 2018.
Companies interested in becoming licensees can register online through esource.expo2020dubai.ae.
“SMEs represent almost 95 per cent of the total number of companies operating in the UAE, and contribute 60 per cent to the nation’s GDP,” said Marwan Al Nasser, a senior government procurement manager at Dubai SME. “Their role in supporting economic growth and employment is vital. Supporting their development is a priority for Dubai, and the UAE in general, as part of our ongoing transformation into a knowledge-based economy.”
Last year Expo 2020 said it had modified its procurement process to allow SMEs to bid more competitively, with no tender bonds required and no advanced payment guarantee required.
lbarnard@thenational.ae
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