With millions of pounds worth of business up for grabs, companies across the West of Scotland are being invited to a ‘Meet the Buyer’ event where they can find out how to bid for sub-contracts under the £1.13 billion Glasgow City Region City Deal.

The event is being hosted at Paisley Town Hall by East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire councils between 9.15am and 12.30pm on 29 August.

The event is for small and medium sized companies. Information will be available on how the Public Contracts Scotland Tender system works and the community benefits that contractors have to deliver.

The event also offers businesses the chance to meet the City Deal project teams, the main contractors and network with other firms.

Representatives from the Supplier Development Programme (SDP) will also be at the event. The SDP is a free service which offers training and support to help small and medium sized businesses find contracts, understand the tender process and improve their bids.

East Renfrewshire convener for infrastructure and sustainable growth Cllr Tony Buchanan, said: “The Glasgow Region City Deal represents £1.13bn worth of opportunities for local companies.

“The City Deal includes 20 major infrastructure projects across the City Region. While work is underway, these projects are expected to create around 15,000 construction jobs. There will be a vast range of contracts available for firms of all shapes and sizes.

“Subcontracting work will cover a huge variety of goods and services including construction materials, transport and haulage. Businesses further down the supply chain can then bid to provide labour, goods and other services to the subcontractors.

“This event is a tangible reminder of how the economic benefits of major infrastructure projects filter down and create jobs for local people who then spend their wages in local shops.”

Those interesting in attending the event should register here.

Meanwhile business leaders are being given the chance to have their say on the £144 million Glasgow Airport Access Project (AAP), the centrepiece of the Glasgow City Region City Deal.

The AAP is intended to provide a rail link between Glasgow Central Station and Glasgow Airport via Paisley Gilmour Street station.

Renfrewshire and Glasgow Chambers of Commerce will distribute copies of the Business Survey to their members on behalf of Renfrewshire Council and Glasgow City Council.

The survey is intended to seek the business community’s views on the economic benefits of the project to their businesses and views on the two options for the airport link.

The first option for the project is a tram-train link which would provide passengers with a direct link between Glasgow Central Station and Glasgow Airport. It would run on the existing heavy rail network before switching onto a new tram line from Paisley to the airport terminal building. The second option is a light-rail, Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system where passengers would travel by normal train to Paisley Gilmour Street. At Paisley Gilmour Street they would change onto a new light-rail system to complete their journey.

Results from the Business Survey will be set out in an outline business case, which is expected to be considered by Renfrewshire Council’s Leadership Board and Glasgow City Council’s Executive Committee, before being presented to the Glasgow City Region Cabinet in December 2016.

The Glasgow City Region City Deal is a £1.13bn partnership between eight local authorities, the Scottish Government and the UK government. It includes 26 projects, 20 of them major infrastructure schemes. These will drive economic growth across the City Region and create 15,000 construction jobs while work is underway and 28,000 jobs when work is finished.