With the support of our Sponsors Cavendish Nuclear and Amentum as well as the support of our friends at the EngineRooms at Birchwood Park, the Northern Nuclear Alliance (NNA) Supply Chain committee was pleased to be able to host a collaboration and networking event following a new format we haven’t tried before.

The set up for the day was designed to address feedback from our NNA members from previous events. The feedback we’ve had was that our members would welcome the opportunity to showcase their own products and services, would like facilitated 1:1’s with Buyers and would like a record of who is attending the event.

This is why the committee got together and our newly formatted “Meet the Seller” was born. This format allowed 28 of our members to present in front of an audience made up of Tier 1 organisations and the larger Tier 2’s who generally contract directly with them. The sub-committee leveraged its network and ensured there was a fantastic representation from across the UK to be there to hear what our members have to offer. The team also ensured that each of the buyer organisations provided a one page overview of who they are, what they do and the types of services they need as well as contact and onboarding details. All this information was provided to the members who had a presentation slot in advance. Then came the fun bit…

Our membership was given a strict 3 minute time limit to present their organisations and the products and services they provide. We kept the pressure on with a big red countdown clock and a clown horn/rubber chicken to signal the end of time should anyone dare to go over their limit. This kept the information coming quick and fast to audience and (I hope) prevented anyone form power point overload. On top of this, the audience had the ability to signify interest in what they were seeing so that a facilitated 1:1 would be organised by the committee in the afternoon. Coupled with plenty of time for general networking over coffee and lunch, those in attendance had direct access to the big organisations that rely on the supply chain who in return got to see first hand what the NNA members can offer. The attendees and all presentation material is being made available to everyone who attended to aid future follow up.

For those who joined, I hope you found it both useful and at least a little bit enjoyable. A quick personal thank you from me whether you are buyer, seller or NNA subcommittee member, your efforts and energy made for a what I believe was a great event and I’m looking forward to doing all again in the future.

“It was a privilege to present at the Northern Nuclear Alliance’s first Meet the Supplier event (genius idea! 😊). As an SME, it’s not always easy to find the right platform to clearly showcase what makes us different and articulate our value proposition. This event provided exactly that.
The energy in the room — from both buyers and suppliers — was outstanding. I was genuinely encouraged by the number of buyers keen to explore Hutchinsons’ capabilities further, both during networking and in the meet-the-buyer sessions. A fantastic event that delivered real conversations and meaningful connections. Thank you to the Supply Chain sub group for initiating this.
Thank goodness that no chickens were choked during my presentation!”
Susan Wiseman – Hutchinson Engineering

” I think every SME feels that familiar ‘fear of missing out’ when it comes to finding new business opportunities in nuclear. So, it was great to see the Northern Nuclear Alliance turn the established ‘Meet the Buyer’ format on its head, putting smaller suppliers in the spotlight. It was a real pleasure to join more than 25 fellow SMEs, each of us delivering a punchy three-minute pitch to a packed auditorium of Tier 1 and 2 nuclear buyers. One-to-ones followed, with the very same buyers, and a genuine opportunity to showcase the solutions that SCX can offer. Huge thanks to NNA’s Supply Chain Subgroup for organising the day. I’m already looking forward to the next one – sign us up!”
Darren Falkingham – SCX (part of the Kinetic Solutions Group)