More than 100 local businesses attended the event at Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli, where they were able to find out more about the contract opportunities available as part of Bouygues UK’s commitment to provide significant employment, training and skills opportunities to local people and underrepresented groups.

The prestigious and innovative £87m development which is being delivered by Carmarthenshire County Council is the largest regeneration scheme in South West Wales. It will bring together life science and business innovation, community healthcare and modern leisure facilities at the 83-acre Delta Lakes site on the Llanelli coastline.

Peter Sharpe, Bouygues UK’s Pentre Awel Project Director, said: “It was fantastic to talk to a whole range of local businesses about the Pentre Awel development and to discuss the ways in which we could work together to deliver the scheme.

“As someone who was born and lives in West Wales, I am passionate about making sure that as many local businesses as possible have a stake in the construction of this development. It is a key objective for Bouygues UK to deliver employment, skills and training for local people that will leave a legacy long after the building work on Pentre Awel is complete.”

“Pentre Awel is one of the largest regeneration schemes of its type to take place in this region and it is important that the local community knows that no business is too big or too small to take advantage of the opportunities that are on offer,” Peter added.   

The truly collaborative scheme is being delivered for the local community by Carmarthenshire County Council in partnership with Hywel Dda University Health Board, Universities and colleges and is part-funded by the Swansea Bay City Deal (£40million). It aims to create around 1,800 jobs over 15 years and boost the local economy by more than £450m.

Other local stakeholders who had representatives at the Meet the Buyer event included: Business Wales, Coleg Sir Gȃr, Communities for Work, Constructionline, Cyfle Building Skills, Helo Blod, Swansea Bay City Deal, Whitehead (Main M&E Contractor) and Workways.

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism Cllr Gareth John said: “One of Carmarthenshire County Council’s key objectives linked to the project is to deliver a significant programme of community benefits and economic regeneration across the county.

“It is critical that local subcontractors receive a substantial portion of those benefits, that is why this event was key to engage with the local supply chain and provide an opportunity for them to find out how they can engage with the project.

“It was great that Bouygues UK was able to meet with so many local businesses with a view to supporting that aim to deliver sustainable employment opportunities and demonstrate its commitment to help us achieve our key community benefits objectives.”

Bouygues UK will be promoting further opportunities for local businesses in sell2wales.gov.wales from June, leading up to the start of construction in Autumn 2022.