Businesses in the construction industry are set to hear about the major opportunities open to them as part of the South West Wales Regional Contractors Framework.

A contractor engagement event is being held at Llanelli’s Parc Y Scarlets on February 9, giving local businesses the opportunity to find out about forthcoming projects that they could be a part of.

The Framework is used for the delivery of construction, design and project management services across the Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, Swansea and Neath Port Talbot council areas.

More that £103million worth of projects have been awarded amongst the 23 contractors on the Framework since February, with a further £177million worth of projects in the pipeline.

The event will bring these contractors and potential sub-contractors together, allowing them to network and discuss future business opportunities.

Buyers of the Framework services will also be in attendance, and there will be free workshops to support businesses to get the most out of their contracts, including advice on community benefit clauses.

Carmarthenshire County Council leads the Framework on behalf of the partner authorities.

Cllr David Jenkins, the council’s Executive Board Member for Resources, said: “This event reaches out to hundreds of local suppliers within the South West Wales region, and is a great opportunity to engage informally with major contractors, local small and medium-sized enterprises, buyers and business support organisations.”

“The Framework has major potential for local businesses and employment. Launched in February, it has already won the Government Opportunities Excellence in Public Procurement Award, which is a recognised benchmark for procurement excellence in the public sector.

“I hope that this event will be the start of a prosperous journey for many businesses which of course will be good news for the local economy.”