Scottish businesses are being invited to an online event where they can find out more about the opportunities offered by the Inch Cape offshore wind farm – which will see up to 72 turbines located 15 km off the Angus coast and connect to the National Grid at Cockenzie.

The event on 16 September, run by Inch Cape, Xodus Group and Scottish Enterprise in association with the Forth & Tay Offshore Cluster, is a chance for local businesses to understand how they can engage with what will become a £multi-million project in the middle years of this decade.

Adam Ezzamel, Project Director at Inch Cape, said: "Offshore wind presents a significant opportunity for businesses of all sizes in Scotland, but it is hard for many medium and smaller enterprises to understand how to engage and tender for work.

"In common with all major infrastructure projects, a high proportion of contracts will be awarded to large 'tier one' suppliers. However, each of these suppliers will in turn be reliant on multiple specialist subcontractors, and this is where local businesses can play to their strengths.

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"For these businesses, this event will explain Scotland's 'Cluster Builder' initiative, led by offshore wind supply chain experts Xodus, which works with Scotland's two offshore wind clusters – Forth & Tay Offshore and DeepWind – to support the Scottish supply chain to target opportunities in offshore wind.

"At the same time, Inch Cape is keen to contract directly with specialist suppliers of all sizes if they can introduce new technologies and innovative ways of working with a focus on lowering the cost of energy on the project and reducing construction time, cost and carbon footprint whilst prioritising health and safety."

Shona Clive, Project Lead, Forth and Tay Offshore Cluster added: "Scottish Engineering, as the newly appointed Cluster Manager for the Forth and Tay Offshore Cluster, is delighted to be supporting the Inch Cape procurement event. The Inch Cape project is right in the heart of the Forth and Tay geographic area, home to world leading offshore engineering companies which are well positioned to support this major multi-million pound project.

"This event, followed by a series of other more discipline-specific events, will help to inform local SMEs and those further afield about the huge scope of opportunities arising from the construction and long-term operation of the Inch Cape Wind Farm."

Hannah Collings, Project Manager for Cluster Builder, Lead Renewables Consultant at Xodus, said: "The Cluster Builder is excited to collaborate with Inch Cape to provide a timeline for Scottish SMEs on when and how to get involved with the next generation of offshore wind projects. The Cluster Builder's role is to signpost SMEs to relevant initiatives, provide market intelligence and help prepare for tendering opportunities. For this event we will be working alongside the Forth and Tay Offshore Cluster to support SMEs to get the most of out of the future tier one tendering sessions."

The event will take place from 10-11am on Thursday 16th September and a link to register can be found at www.inchcapewind.com/supply-chain

The Offshore Wind Cluster Builder project is part-funded by the 2014–2020 European Structural and Investment Fund.