Date: July 29, 2018
Zubair Small Enterprises Centre (Zubair SEC) organised a ‘Tajribati’ session on the topic ‘Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) readiness for tenders’.
Ali Abdul Hussain Shaaban Al Lawati, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at W.J Towell Group, Sultan Freish Al Siyabi, Director of Chartered Accountants Group, and Shatha Abdullah Al Jabri, Marketing Director, Meshan provided an overview on the topic.
The session, held at Meshan Café in Ghala, discussed the readiness of SMEs to take on contracts from government and large private companies and how best handle large tenders. The discussion session focussed on the readiness of SMEs to deal with tenders in terms of solvency, efficiency in financial management, liquidity management, and resources management. It reflected on the ability of SMEs to finance the execution of contracts until collection of payments and the challenges of borrowing. The attendants discussed the challenges faced by SMEs to obtain bank guarantees and collateral.
The ‘Tajribati’ series serves as a unique platform to connect industry experts with start-up owners and new entrepreneurs to exchange views, discuss common challenges and share best practices. The ‘Tajribati’ discussion series organised by Zubair SEC, a social responsibility initiative of The Zubair Corporation, is aimed at supporting young entrepreneurs and owners of small and medium enterprises.
This July session on SMEs readiness for large tenders was part of the Centre’s initiatives to encourage young Omani entrepreneurs to confidently bid for large projects provided they have what it takes and equipped to handle any upcoming challenges. It was attended by members of Zubair SEC and other aspiring entrepreneurs.
Ali Abdul Hussain Shaaban Al Lawati said, “I would like to appreciate the efforts of Zubair SEC in organising a session on this important topic. I am delighted to have got the opportunity to network with bright young minds from the SME sector in Oman. The Tajribati gathering helped aspiring entrepreneurs comprehend how to overcome barriers that prevent them from bidding for tenders. All speakers stressed on how to produce a high quality, persuasive tender submission to highlight their company’s capabilities and competitive values.”
He added, “By organising such sessions Zubair SEC makes available further hands-on expertise and market-specific advice for SMEs. The session covered a wide range of topics that are relevant and help SMEs win tenders. I would like to encourage young entrepreneurs to equip themselves with knowledge and understanding of the process to win tenders. They should also know the market and the correct ways to obtain proper financing from the various financial institutions in addition to needed insurance against risks and trade losses.”
Speaking at the session, Sultan Freish Al Siyabi said, “Zubair SEC’s Tajribati sessions are important to identify the needs of entrepreneurs and highlight the challenges faced by them. The meeting encouraged SMEs to aim for large contracts and covered the administrative and financial aspects.”
He added that guest speakers gave inputs on how to spend sufficient time to draw up tenders and how to overcome difficulties.
He said, “They also discussed the available solutions to overcome these difficulties and stressed on ensuring access to relevant information. It was a very fruitful session for all those who attended.”
Adel Al Hubaishi, Senior Advisor at Zubair SEC said, “Guest speakers provided much valued advice and guidance to the attendees on best practices to win tenders. The growth of SMEs is very vital to the national economy and tenders can be an important source of business for SMEs. We understand the importance of this topic for SMEs. We are thankful to all speakers for sharing their expertise.”
Zubair SEC has held several workshops and ‘Tajribati’ sessions covering a variety of topics pertinent to SMEs. Given the importance of such topics, the Centre keeps planning workshops and ‘Tajribati’ sessions to keep building capacity of its members in critical areas. The ‘Tajribati’ discussion series are aimed at supporting young entrepreneurs and owners of small and medium enterprises. The session provides a platform for transparent dialogue and discussions with experts on topics related to business.