More than 70 representatives of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) from the O'Higgins Region participated in the webinar organized by the El Teniente Division to present the corporate program "Juntos Emprendemos de Local", which aims to encourage local suppliers to apply for Codelco tenders.

The program, implemented together with the Simón de Cirene Corporation and Gestión Social, is in its second stage. The first, during 2022, focused on training, while the current one focuses on support in the bidding processes.

Viviana Núñez, representative of the FYV company (civil works and maintenance) and participant in the webinar, said that “what struck me most is that there are business opportunities for smaller companies and they give us the opportunity to provide a quality service.”

Patricio León, representative of Frantom Limitada, added that “there are bidding processes that are complex and this support is necessary and serves companies to make the application process simpler.”

At the meeting, the requirements, steps and contracts available in El Teniente were explained. “We seek to be an influential factor in their development, so that they can grow and benefit from new businesses. And at the same time, the Corporation has a neighbor who supports them,” said Felipe Moraga, Engineer of Codelco's Supply Department.

Promote the local economy

This initiative is part of the commitments that Codelco has been promoting towards 2030, which include the development of the territories. The goal is to increase goods and services from local suppliers by 60%.

“One of the key points in the economic area is the strengthening of local suppliers and the hiring of local labor. This program has helped us promote the development of the region,” explained Carlos Vásquez, Community Development Supervisor of El Teniente.

In this context, divisional purchases from local suppliers have experienced constant growth over the last three years, rising from $34.7 million in 2020 to $81 million in 2023.

Nancy Coronado, the Division's Supply Engineer, explained that "we have more and more local suppliers participating in the different programs. At the corporate level, the Division has a high number of local suppliers in its businesses."

To close the year, on December 5th, a face-to-face activity will be held to provide support and advice to MSME companies in the O'Higgins region.