More than 50 companies and around 100 people attended a meet the buyer event at Oldham College on Tuesday, as First Choice Homes Oldham prepares to award £100 million of contracts over the coming years.

The sell-out day, officially a Pre Market Engagement Event, was run with Oldham College and Oldham Business Network and opened by FCHO chief executive Mark Gifford.

Contracts, some lasting up to seven years, cover planned investment works, major repairs, responsive repairs and voids across FCHO's 11,500 homes.

Damon Pickard, head of procurement and insurance, said: "This was an incredibly successful, well attended event where we got to meet many new companies and some of our existing supply chain."

He said it was a chance to discuss how the public procurement contracts will be run and what suppliers must do to work with FCHO, including offering social value to support neighbourhoods. He added: "At the moment 25% of our contractors come from a ten-mile radius of Oldham."

Mr Pickard said the contracts would be planned so smaller firms could bid, and that the aim was to use local small businesses where the rules allow to keep the Oldham pound in Oldham.

Mr Gifford told the audience the supply chain mattered to the local economy and to FCHO customers. He set out plans to build at least 600 new homes, improve the repairs service and make sure all properties reach at least an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C rating by 2030.