Peterborough County is offering an upcoming session for local businesses facing the impact of U.S. tariffs that are interested in supplying products or services to local municipal governments and school boards.
In partnership with the City of Kawartha Lakes, Trillium District School Board, City of Peterborough, and Northumberland County, the county presenting a free morning session designed to help businesses gain a competitive edge in securing government contracts.
“Selling to Local Government – The Local Advantage” takes place from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, May 29 at StoneHouse Hall, located at 2195 Lansdowne St. W. just west of Peterborough.
“Businesses are being negatively affected by the U.S.’s tariffs,” Rhonda Keenan, Peterborough County’s general manager of economic development, told kawarthaNOW.
“The county is a large purchaser of goods and services, and as such, there is an opportunity for Peterborough County to help local businesses tap into the municipal government market, by educating them on the public procurement process and helping them to become more competitive.”
The goals of the event are to ensure local businesses are better informed about the procurement process, can respond more competitively to bids than their competition, and are able to successfully secure more local contracts — ultimately helping to retain more jobs in Peterborough County, Keenan said.
At the event, attendees will learn about the types of goods and services municipalities and school boards regularly purchase and how local businesses can qualify.
A panel of municipal procurement specialists will explain how municipalities make purchasing decisions, including the impact of whether a business is local or not, and will provide tips for businesses to strengthen their bids for municipal contracts.
There will also be a “speed networking” session where businesses can introduce their products and services by meeting face-to-face with the procurement specialists.
Businesses will have an opportunity to provide feedback on the barriers they have experienced during procurement processes and discover how they can overcome them.
Although businesses will not have an opportunity at the event to bid on specific tenders, they will be able to learn about upcoming municipal projects where requests for proposals will be issued.
The event is open to any business located in the city or county of Peterborough, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County and the city of Peterborough that offers a product or service that could be purchased by municipal governments or school boards.
That can include businesses in sectors such as construction, transportation, food service, information technology, consulting, and more.
While participation in the session is free, advance registration is required at www.ptbocounty.ca/sellingtogovernment. Coffee, tea, and other refreshments will be provided to attendees.
The event is part of Peterborough County’s broader initiative, The Local Advantage – With Peterborough County, which is designed to support and strengthen the local economy, especially now that local businesses are facing pressure from unfair U.S. tariffs.
