AWS event in Newcastle targets North East tech SMEs

Amazon Web Services is holding an event in Newcastle for North East technology SMEs focused on public sector opportunities. Dynamo North East is promoting the programme to businesses across the region.

Called Think Big for Small Business, the event is aimed at UK technology companies with 10 to 250 employees that want to scale and better understand how to win public sector work. It will cover procurement frameworks, partnership models with larger technology groups, and the experiences of smaller companies that have already delivered public sector contracts.

The session reflects a wider push to bring more smaller suppliers into public sector technology procurement, an area many young and mid-sized firms still find difficult to navigate. The programme will focus on practical guidance rather than broad policy discussion, with founders sharing what they learned while bidding for and delivering contracts.

A live demonstration will also explore generative artificial intelligence and cloud tools, focusing on how smaller businesses can use them to improve productivity and identify commercial opportunities. The wider agenda will examine how larger technology companies work with SMEs on major programmes and how suppliers are assessed on issues including sustainability, skills, economic growth, and inclusion.

The Newcastle event follows recent regional discussion about the barriers smaller companies face when trying to sell into the public sector. These issues were central to Dynamo North East's Leadership Forum on public procurement and social value, where public and private sector leaders discussed how to create clearer routes into procurement and strengthen relationships between buyers and suppliers.

Regional focus

For North East technology firms, holding the event in Newcastle gives local businesses direct access to senior AWS staff and to companies with experience of public sector supply chains. Speakers are due to include Holly Ellis, Director, Public Sector UK Tech Team, AWS; Lester McPherson, Director, Professional Services Partners, AWS; Rick Houghton, Head of Retail and CPG Solution Architecture, AWS; and Katy John, Senior Business Development Manager, AWS.

The programme is free to attend, although places are limited and registration is required in advance. Dynamo North East has been working to raise awareness of the event among technology companies in the region, where policymakers and business groups have been trying to improve the visibility of procurement opportunities for local firms.

Winning public sector work can provide a stable source of revenue for smaller technology businesses, but the process often involves framework agreements, compliance requirements, and partnership structures more familiar to established contractors. As a result, many SMEs are looking for clearer guidance on how to enter the market, whether directly or through larger suppliers.

Founder testimony will form part of the event's practical focus. Those sessions are expected to cover not only successful bids, but also how businesses managed delivery and growth after securing contracts, a key issue for firms trying to move from pilot projects to larger, repeatable work.

David Dunn, Chief Executive, Dynamo North East, said: "We are pleased to help raise awareness of Think Big for Small Business among technology companies across the North East.

"The programme addresses important topics for growing SMEs, including public sector procurement, partnership working, and the practical use of emerging technologies.

"These themes also featured strongly in our recent Dynamo Leadership Forum on public procurement and social value. The discussions highlighted how closer engagement with commissioners, clearer routes into procurement, and stronger relationships with larger partners could help SMEs better understand and pursue relevant opportunities.

"Having an event of this kind take place in Newcastle gives eligible businesses from across the region an opportunity to hear directly from AWS speakers, technology partners, and SMEs with relevant experience.

"We encourage interested businesses to review the programme and register through the official AWS event page."