Procure4Education Northern Ireland 2025 is the leading event focused on advancing public procurement in the education sector across Northern Ireland. This one-day forum brings together a full one day programme for procurement professionals, policymakers, and suppliers to share insights, explore best practices, and discuss innovative solutions for a sector worth over £1 billion annually. Attendees will gain the latest policy updates and practical strategies to drive efficiency and opportunities within education procurement.
Highlight Feature: Meet the Buyer
This exclusive feature offers suppliers the chance to engage in one-to-one meetings with key procurement decision-makers from across Northern Ireland’s education sector. It’s a unique opportunity to build relationships, showcase solutions, and understand upcoming requirements directly from those shaping procurement strategies.
Thank you to our 2025 Event Partners and Participating Organisations
Education Authority Northern Ireland
Partner
The Education Authority (EA) is an arms-length government body of the Department of Education in Northern Ireland. It is responsible for providing education services for pre-school, primary and post primary schools across Northern Ireland, as well as providing an extensive youth service regionally. The EA Commercial Procurement Service (CPS) is a recognised CoPE (Centre of Procurement Expertise) who manage the procurement of a diverse range of supplies, services and works, with a total annual contract expenditure of £470 million and a live contract portfolio worth £1.4 billion.
University of Ulster
Partner
We are a university with a national and international reputation for excellence, innovation and regional engagement, making a major contribution to the economic, social and cultural development of Northern Ireland.
Queen’s University Belfast
Partner
Construction Employers Federation
Partner
Stand Location: 25
The Construction Employers Federation Limited (CEF) is the sole certified representative body for the construction industry in Northern Ireland. We represent approx 70% of construction in NI and around 800 businesses of all sizes employing over 30,000 staff directly and 65,000 in the wider supply chain. CEF is the Voice of the NI Industry on the UK Construction Leadership Council, BuildUK and the NI Procurement Board.
InterTrade Ireland
Partner
Stand Location: 26
InterTradeIreland is the all-island economic development agency. We connect and help businesses across the island to trade cross-border, collaborate, innovate and attract investment. Through our unique role we also identify opportunities for North-South collaboration that accelerate economic growth and help deliver shared policy priorities.
With 25 years’ experience of working alongside businesses of every size in every county on the island of Ireland, InterTradeIreland’s trade, innovation and entrepreneurship pathways help businesses to access funding, advice, experts, and networks across the island to maximise their exports, productivity and growth.
2025 Speakers Included
Elaine Hartin
Chief Strategy & Finance Officer
Elaine Hartin is the Chief Strategy and Finance Officer at Ulster University, playing a major role in institution-wide strategic leadership and planning, including shaping institutional strategies and priorities and aligning institutional resources to deliver against these. Prior to joining the University in 2021 Elaine was Chief Operating Officer at Belfast Metropolitan College and a Director in Deloitte. Elaine has a strong public service ethos and has contributed significantly to the sustainable success of a number of large complex organisation while maintaining strategic and financial oversight, including Procurement Strategy. Elaine has also served on a range of boards and panels, including accepting a Prime Ministerial Appointment to serve as the NI representative on a Pay Review Body. She is currently on the Finance Committee for a local Housing Association. She holds a first-class honours degree in Accounting from Ulster University, a master’s degree in Accounting from Queens University Belfast and is a Fellow of the Chartered Accountants in Ireland.
Donna Allen
Assistant Director of Procurement and Corporate Services
Clare Egan
Head of Procurement
Clare Egan is Head of Procurement at Ulster University. Clare is an experienced, enthusiastic, and highly motivated individual with over 30 years’ experience in procurement working in both the private and public sector. In her procurement career Clare has worked for multinational companies such as Pepsi Co Restaurants (London), Wyeth Medica (Newbridge, Co. Kildare) and Tyco Healthcare (Europe). Clare has achieved high success rates throughout her working career in procurement. As Head of Procurement at Ulster University, Clare provides leadership and strategic direction to the procurement team and across the institution, employing procurement methods that enable end users to consider multiple objectives including social values, financial considerations allowing them to consider the balance between cost, risk, and benefits.
Sharon Smyth CBE
Deputy Secretary
Sharon has been involved in public procurement since November 2001 and has been the Head of Construction and Procurement Delivery for the NI Civil Service since 2021. In her current role, Sharon has responsibility for helping the NI Executive procure the goods, services and works needed to deliver public services and develop public procurement policy which underpins procurement practice in Northern Ireland. Sharon is an advocate for the professionalism of public procurement and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply. She was awarded a CBE in the 2025 New Years Honours List for her services to public procurement and has commented that the Honour reflects the work carried out by the NI Public Sector procurement profession particularly during the supply chain disruptions over the last 5 years.
Lisa Beers
Head of Social Value Unit
Laura Moore
Data Analytics & Insights Manager
Laura Moore is Data Analytics & Insights Manager at the Education Authority in Northern Ireland, where she leads strategic initiatives to enhance organisational effectiveness through data-informed decision-making. With expertise in analytics, data management, and digital innovation, she has developed systems that streamline operations, improve planning, and enhance how education services are delivered. Laura is passionate about translating data into meaningful insights that support better services for children and young people.
Frances Meehan
Assistant Director Education Information Solutions Programme
Dr Thalia Laing
Principal Cryptographer and Security Researcher
Gavin Fox
Head of Business Development
James Conlon
Managing Director
For over four decades, James Conlon has led Niavac’s growth into Northern Ireland’s leading provider of audio-visual solutions. Starting as a trainee sales executive and taking ownership in the mid-1980s, he has shaped Niavac into the award-winning, innovation-driven company it is today, trusted across education, government, corporate and live events sectors throughout the UK and Ireland. As the business expanded, James oversaw its move to a bespoke 15,000sq.ft. headquarters in Belfast, supporting a growing and diverse client base. He is proud of the strong reputation Niavac has built, rooted in integrity, innovation and teamwork, and continues to champion its mission of creating meaningful connection through technology.
David Hunter
Programme Director
David Hunter is a business and social-enterprise leader from Larne, Northern Ireland, with extensive experience in economic development, regeneration, and community partnerships. In 2022, David was appointed by the Department for Communities (NI) as one of only five subject-matter experts to the Ministerial Advisory Panel (MAP) on Community Wealth Building, established to support local economic recovery across Northern Ireland. He is the Programme Director of the Larne Community Wealth Building Partnership (LCWBP) and Founder of Next Steps Consultancy Ltd, working with local councils, government departments, and anchor institutions to deliver inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Renowned for building strong partnerships across public, private, and voluntary sectors, David specialises in translating complex policy frameworks into practical, deliverable outcomes that promote regional balance, sustainability, and thriving communities—while consistently achieving measurable social impact.
Roy Bell
Consultant
Paul Hansen
Head of Strategic Accounts - Scotland, Wales, N Ireland
Crown Commercial Service plays an important role helping the UK public sector save money when buying common goods and services. Paul has been with CCS for more than 13 years, and leads the Crown Commercial Service Devolved Administrations and Crown Dependencies Team. Prior to that Paul held commercial roles in organisations such as the Ministry of Defence and Scottish Procurement & Property Directorate and has worked in the profession for more than 30 years.
Key Event Features
Event Sponsor
Thank you to our 2025 event sponsors
CPAC Modular
Headline Sponsor
Stand Location: 1
A multi-award-winning construction company, most recently delivering Ireland's first permanent modular-built 3,600sqmt two storey school; With an unmatched heritage in design and construction, and over 40 years’ experience in offsite factory-controlled manufacturing’ it’s not hard to see why CPAC Modular are Ireland’s leading modular building company.
HP
Headline Sponsor
Stand Location: 7
We are a technology company born of the belief that companies should do more than just make a profit. They should make the world a better place.
Our efforts in climate action, human rights, and digital equity prove that we are doing everything in our power to make it so.
With over 80 years of actions that prove our intentions, we have the confidence to envision a world where innovation drives extraordinary contributions to humanity.
And our technology – a product and service portfolio of personal systems, printers, and 3D printing solutions – was created to inspire this meaningful progress.
We know that thoughtful ideas can come from anyone, anywhere, at any time.
And all it takes is one to change the world.
Niavac
Lanyard Sponsor
Stand Location: 8
Niavac is Northern Ireland’s leading Audio-Visual integrator with over 60 years’ experience. We supply and install interactive displays, hybrid learning systems, immersive spaces, performance audio, and lighting for education. Our engineers ensure seamless delivery and support. We also provide live event technical services for school productions and celebrations.
Renaissance Bullwall
Day Planner Sponsor
Stand Location: 17
BullWall Ransomware Containment Is The Only Solution That Instantly Contains an Active Ransomware Attack
BullWall Ransomware Containment is an automated, agentless solution that immediately detects, contains, and halts active ransomware attacks to protect critical IT infrastructure and ensure resilience and continuity.
BullWall is distributed by Renaissance
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