Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and women-led SMEs (WLSMEs) play critical roles in economic growth and development. However, the share of public procurement contracts that are won by SMEs, especially WLSMEs, remain low. Only 1% of the $11 trillion spent annually on public procurement is awarded to women-owned businesses.
WLSMEs face administrative, financial and procedural challenges in accessing and participating in public procurement markets, due to the complexity and costliness of procurement processes.
Several countries are implementing policies specifically geared towards lowering barriers to entry for WLSMEs, as evidenced by the initiatives in Kenya, Senegal, and Scotland as well as initiatives taken by the World Bank¡¯s own Corporate Procurement.
CHAIR: Caren Grown (Gender, Global Director, World Bank) and Vinay Sharma (Global Director, Solutions and Innovations in Procurement, World Bank)
DISCUSSANT: Hiba Tahboub, Practice Manager, Governance-Procurement, World Bank
MODERATOR: Nazaneen Ismail Ali, Senior Procurement Specialist, Governance Global Practice, World Bank
REMARKS: Nagaraju Duthalari, Lead Procurement Speicalist, World Bank
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Jessica Tillipman, Assistant Dean for Government Procurement Law Studies; Government Contracts Advisory Council Professorial Lecturer in Government Contracts Law, Practice & Policy, George Washington University Law School
Alastair Merrill, Vice-Principal, Governance at University of St Andrews
Eric Korir, Director of Public Procurement in the National Treasury, Kenya
Sofya Muradyan, Senior Private Sector Specialist, World Bank
Adam Rubinfield, Procurement Specialist, World Bank Corporate Procurement
TIME | ACTIVITY |
8:00 | Welcome by Nagaraju Duthalari |
8:02 | Opening Remarks from Caren Grown |
8:07 | Remarks from Vinay Sharma |
8:12 | Nazaneen Ismail Ali introduces panelists |
8:15 | Jessica Tillipman |
8:30 | Alastair Merrill |
8:40 | Hiba Tahboub asks questions to panel |
8:45 | Eric Korir |
8:55 | Sofyia Muradyan |
9:05 | Adam Rubinfield |
9:15 | Q&A Session |
9:40 | Hiba Tahboub provides closing remarks |
9:45 | Vinay Sharma provides closing remarks |
9:50 | Caren Grown provides closing remarks |