Kiwi small and medium businesses are being offered a foot in the door with 15 of the government’s largest departments in an event that’s being described as ‘procurement speed dating’.

Organised by Business New Zealand and the Ministry of Economic Development, the Meet the Buyer event is free to attend, and businesses from all categories – including ICT – are invited to apply to go along and peddle their wares.

To apply, businesses must first view the list of agencies in attendance and the services each is looking to procure.

Applicants who think they can provide these services are invited to then complete an online application explaining which of the agencies they’d like to meet, what their area of expertise is, and delivering a 250-300 word ‘elevator pitch’.

Once the agencies have perused these applications and identified which businesses they are keen to meet with, the organisers will plot out the day’s meetings. Each will be 15 minutes long, and organisers expect between 600 and 800 to take place throughout the day.

This is the first event of its type in New Zealand, and although it is weeks away applications are due at the end of this month, so that organisers have the time to tackle the gargantuan task of planning the day’s meetings.

Meet the Buyer will take place in Wellington on May 9; go here to get involved.