Detroit to host Meet the Buyer event to connect City department buyers with local suppliers

2023
  • This event will allow small Detroit-based businesses to interact one-on-one with City procurement specialists
  • Meet the Buyer is a free in-person event, open to anyone
  • Attendees must register to attend here

The City of Detroit’s Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP) is hosting its 2nd Annual Meet the Buyer Procurement Forum, an interactive event that will connect buyers from various City departments with local suppliers. The event is part of a continued effort by OCP to reach out to small, local, Detroit-based and minority owned businesses.

Meet the Buyer is free, and in-person 10AM – 1PM on Tuesday, December 19 in the 13th floor Erma L. Henderson Auditorium at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center (CAYMC).  Those attending are required to register.

One objective of this event is to help small businesses understand and ask questions about the governmental procurement processes, connect with City procurement buyers, and get information on the latest open bid opportunities. There are dozens of open bids related to goods and services provided by City government. Attendees will have a chance to talk one-on-one with procurement specialists, set up an Oracle profile and register as a supplier if they aren’t already.

“We are excited to offer this second Meet the Buyer event to give businesses a chance to interact face-to-face with City department buyers. All are welcome, especially our small, minority-owned Detroit-based businesses who may be unfamiliar with our procurement processes,” said Sandra Yu Stahl, Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Chief Procurement Officer.

“This is a great opportunity for businesses to ask questions about specific bids, connect with buyers from various departments and even register as a vendor with the City. This is part of our ongoing effort to outreach to small, minority-owned, Detroit based businesses to make them aware of all the bid opportunities in City government,” said LaTonia Stewart-Limmitt, Deputy Chief Procurement Officer, Office of Contracting and Procurement.

Business owners with questions should contact Ciarra Williams at [email protected].

Attendees should register HERE to attend.