More than 500 businesses came together in Bedford this week for Working with Universal, the latest BedX event exploring opportunities created by major investment, development and regeneration across Bedfordshire.
Demand for the event was so high that a further 350 companies joined a waiting list to attend.
Organised by Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce and its business-led BedX - Bedfordshire Opportunity Exchange -initiative, Working with Universal at Kings House, Bedford, brought businesses together to hear directly about opportunities connected to Universal Destinations & Experiences and to understand how major project supply chains work and, crucially, where local companies can fit within them.
This was the second major BedX event bringing businesses closer to the investment pipeline. At the previous event, businesses heard from Universal Destinations & Experiences, Luton Rising, which is leading the expansion at London Luton Airport, and representatives connected to the opportunities arising from Sizewell C. Further events are planned as BedX continues to open up access to major projects and supply-chain opportunities across Bedfordshire and the wider region.
Almost half of those attending the event represented the construction sector, reflecting the significant pipeline of development planned across the region. However, a key message from the event was that the opportunity extends far beyond construction.
From professional services, logistics and technology to hospitality, facilities management, recruitment, transport, skills and the visitor economy, major investment has the potential to generate opportunities across the Bedfordshire business community, both directly and through increasingly diverse supply chains.
Working with Universal Destinations & Experiences forms part of a wider BedX programme focused on helping local businesses access opportunities linked to major developments including a broad pipeline of identified projects and tenders across the county and surrounding region. BedX is currently tracking 32 identified projects and tenders with a published project value of Β£6.5bn already in progress, and a further Β£20bn+ of published project, infrastructure and programme value across the wider identified pipeline, including regional programme value directly accessible to Bedfordshire businesses. This underlines the potential scale of the opportunity ahead and businesses are being encouraged to start preparing now rather than waiting for individual opportunities to appear.
Turning major investment into local opportunity
BedX has been established to help ensure that, as investment comes into the region, Bedfordshire businesses have the information, capability and connections they need to compete for the opportunities it creates.
Its ambition is not simply to tell businesses what is happening, but to help them understand where they fit, strengthen their capability and make the right connections. Its wider vision is to maximise the lasting economic benefit of major regional investment for Bedfordshire's businesses, people and communities.
For many SMEs, the route into a major project will not necessarily be a direct contract with the developer. Instead, opportunities flow through principal contractors, Tier 1 contractors and further down the supply chain, creating routes for regional contractors, specialist businesses, trades and providers of the many goods and services needed to deliver and support major projects.
This was a central theme of the event: understanding who is most likely to buy your product or service, where your business sits within the supply chain and what buyers will expect from you when opportunities arise. For many local businesses, the real opportunity will sit within Tier 2 and Tier 3 supply chains rather than directly with a major developer.
Justin Richardson, Chief Executive of Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce, said:
The response has been phenomenal. More than 500 businesses joined us, with another 350 on the waiting list, which tells us very clearly that Bedfordshire businesses recognise the scale of what is coming and want to be part of it.
What was particularly exciting was the breadth of businesses in the room. Construction is clearly a major part of the opportunity, but this goes much further. Major investment creates demand throughout the supply chain, and we want businesses of every size and sector to be asking: where do we fit?
The opportunity for Bedfordshire is significant, but we need to make sure our local businesses are ready to take advantage of it. That means understanding how these supply chains work, who they need to be talking to and what they need to have in place to compete successfully.
Building a lasting legacy for Bedfordshire
One of BedX's central objectives is to ensure that major inward investment creates a lasting economic benefit for the county, translating opportunity into local contracts, jobs, skills and sustainable business growth.
BedX is open to businesses of every size and sector, whether or not they are Chamber members, and provides a county-wide route through which businesses can better understand upcoming opportunities and prepare themselves to compete. Its role is to connect, inform and prepare Bedfordshire businesses, while remaining independent of individual developers and contractors.
Through supplier mapping, tender-readiness support, workshops, webinars, buyer briefings and events, BedX is helping businesses move from simply being aware of major investment to understanding what it could mean for them in practical terms.
The scale of demand for Working with Universal, with a further 350 businesses on the waiting list, has reinforced the appetite within the county to engage with these opportunities. Further BedX events will be arranged, giving more businesses the chance to hear about major projects, understand the opportunities ahead, identify where they fit and prepare for what comes next.
Justin continued:
This event is just the beginning. The level of interest demonstrates the ambition that exists within Bedfordshire's business community and we now need to build on that momentum.
We will be arranging further events and continuing to provide practical support to help businesses understand the opportunities, strengthen their readiness and build the connections they need.
Ultimately, we want to see more Bedfordshire businesses winning work, collaborating with one another and benefiting from the investment coming into our region. If we can retain more of that value locally, the impact will reach far beyond individual contracts, supporting jobs, skills, communities and economic growth across the county for decades to come.
The event forms part of BedX's wider programme to connect Bedfordshire businesses with major investment and help create a capable, opportunity-ready local supply base. BedX's approach is built around a simple journey for businesses: understand the opportunity, identify where they fit, get ready, connect and compete.
