Go-2-Tender: cross-border tendering support for SMEs returns

Last month (9 July 2025) saw the relaunch of a cross-border initiative designed to help smaller businesses across the island of Ireland secure public sector contracts.

The Go-2-Tender programme, delivered by InterTradeIreland, provides workshops, training and mentoring to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in competing for government contracts on both sides of the border.

The programme covers areas such as navigating the tendering process, identifying opportunities and improving the quality of bid submissions.

Background

Now in its ninth phase, Go-2-Tender says it has supported more than 1,100 SMEs between 2021 and 2024. The programme promises to provide:

• Knowledge and advice on how to navigate the public procurement market in Ireland and Northern Ireland
• Improved skills for bidding on public sector contracts
• Enhanced competitiveness and confidence in tendering processes
• Access to one-on-one mentoring tailored to individual business needs
• Access to valuable online resources and tendering materials

Ministers from both jurisdictions have endorsed the initiative as a means of strengthening cross-border trade and encouraging market diversification.

To register

Workshops, which represent the first stage of support through the programme, will run between September 2025 and January 2026. To register, select your preferred workshop via this link and follow the instructions in the Registration section.

The workshops are delivered over two half-day sessions via Microsoft Teams. Each workshop costs £50 per person.

If you have any questions about the Go-2-Tender programme, please contact InterTradeIreland at trade@intertraderieland.com