Business alliance announces practical steps, including spend mapping and tender-readiness surgeries, to ensure regional investment creates local jobs.
Top business leaders and anchor institutions across South West Wales have issued an urgent call to action: the region must stop letting economic opportunity leak out to national competitors, and instead use its spending power to build a resilient local economy.
Gathering at a high-level roundtable hosted by Redkite Solicitors in Swansea, regional partners convened by 4theRegion tackled the pressing issue of supply chain localisation. The consensus was clear: while South West Wales anticipates massive investment from projects like freeports and renewable energy, these will only benefit the region if local SMEs can actually win the contracts.
Representatives from housing, finance, food, professional services, and construction warned that current public and private procurement systems heavily favour scale and lowest-cost national suppliers. This outdated approach actively sidelines local knowledge, long-term community benefits, and regional economic impact.
As host of the roundtable, Redkite Solicitors emphasised the importance of ensuring major investment creates lasting value for the communities and businesses already rooted in the region. Katherine Simpson, Head of Residential Property for Redkite Solicitors and Regional Partner for their Swansea offices, said: “As a firm rooted in communities across Wales, we see every day how local knowledge, local relationships, and accessible professional services make a real difference to people and businesses. South West Wales has enormous potential, and if we want major investment to translate into long-term prosperity, we must make it easier for regional suppliers and SMEs to be visible, prepared, and genuinely considered. Keeping more value within South West Wales is not only good procurement, it is good place-making.”
The alliance is now demanding a radical shift from “lowest price” to “whole value” – an approach that prioritises local employment, supply-chain resilience, carbon reduction, and retained regional wealth.
Zoe Antrobus, Director of 4theRegion, said: “South West Wales has everything it needs to be a thriving, resilient region – talented people, ambitious businesses, strong communities, and huge opportunities on the horizon. But unless we are intentional about connecting investment to local suppliers, local jobs, and local young people, we risk watching the benefits pass us by. This conversation was about moving from good intentions to practical action. How do we make sure a young person in our region can see a practical route into a good local job created by this investment?”
The discussion underscored the vital role of “anchor institutions” such as housing associations (Tai Tarian, Caredig, Beacon, Codi), food suppliers (Castell Howell), and financial institutions (Swansea Building Society) in using their everyday spending power to support local SMEs.
Simon Griffiths, Director of Commercial Supply Chain at Opus BS, who offered to support local SMEs with free tender-readiness surgeries, added: “Procurement should not just be treated as a buying process. It is one of the most powerful economic development tools we have. If we want local supply chains to grow, businesses need visibility of what is coming, time to prepare, and procurement models that properly recognise whole value, not just lowest cost.”
Moving quickly from discussion to immediate action, the leaders identified several critical steps to transform the regional economy:
• Supplier Spend Mapping: Piloting a postcode-level audit of where regional anchor institutions currently spend their money to identify “leakage” and shift spend locally.
• Pipeline Visibility: Campaigning for transparent, forward-looking procurement pipelines so local SMEs have the time to prepare, invest, and form consortia.
• Tender-Readiness Support: Launching practical surgeries and guidance to help small and medium-sized businesses compete for larger regional contracts.
• Youth Employment Links: Directly connecting regional supply chains to youth employment, using models like the Green Careers Pathway to ensure inclusive opportunities.
• A ‘Front Door’ for Business: Establishing 4theRegion as a central gateway for business-to-business connections, helping local firms find trusted suppliers and collaborate.
This forms part of 4theRegion’s ongoing mission to unite people, businesses, and organizations around the shared goal of co-creating a happier, healthier, and economically thriving South West Wales.
Organisations represented at the strategic discussion included: 4theRegion, Redkite Solicitors, Opus BS, Swansea Building Society, Tai Tarian, Caredig, Codi Group, Beacon, Castell Howell, Quatro Gymnastics, Bevan Buckland, Green Light Technology Solutions, DWJ Wealth Management Ltd, and Thomas Carroll.