More than 300 local businesses will have the opportunity to pitch their products and services to new customers at NI Chamber’s 2026 Meet the Buyer. Hosted in partnership with Bank of Ireland, the annual procurement event will take place on Wednesday 4 November in Affidea Stadium.
Designed to build strong local supply chains, it will bring organisations with significant procurement requirements together with Northern Ireland based suppliers who can meet their specific needs.
Large organisations from the public and private sectors including Navantia, Heathrow, Translink, NIE Networks, Belfast City Council, NI Water, Ryobi, Ulster Hockey, Netcompany and Larne Port, will be in attendance, all aiming to source local suppliers with the capacity and capability to fulfill large-scale need.
Speaking ahead of the event, Suzanne Wylie, Chief Executive, NI Chamber said:
“Meet the Buyer is a really distinctive proposition, supporting business growth by providing NI Chamber members with direct access to buyers with procurement responsibility. It is a superb showcase of Northern Ireland’s capability and capacity as a supplier-base and in a single morning, has proven to lay the foundation for multi-million-pound contracts.”
John-Francis Collins, Sales Manager at 3T Power, attended the 2024 event. There, he secured a meeting with Belfast City Council, an introduction which led to significant commercial growth.
“The connection we made through NI Chamber’s Meet the Buyer ultimately helped 3T Power secure a contract worth more than £20 million over five years. For an ambitious local disruptor like us, that access to the right people can be transformative,” he said.
Tanya Anderson, Head of Business Deposits at Bank of Ireland UK added:
“Northern Ireland is home to ambitious businesses with the capability to compete for significant contracts and reach new markets. Meet the Buyer creates the direct commercial connections that can turn that ambition into business won, investment made and jobs created.
“That is why Bank of Ireland is proud to partner with NI Chamber on the event. We want more local businesses to have the connections, financial support and confidence to act on new opportunities and turn their growth plans into progress.”