DOST, Startup Shoppable Business, Partner For E-Procurement Solution Development

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and startup company Shoppable Business collaborates to develop a secure e-procurement solution for government agencies and businesses in the country. Shoppable Business will develop Quotable, a free Software-as-a-Service platform that will allow buyers to source branded business equipment, OEM goods, and supplies from verified suppliers nationwide, ensuring better pricing, product authenticity, and efficiency.

DOST Secretary Dr. Renato U. Solidum, Jr. anticipates that the web-based application from Shoppable Business will soon be rolled out and fully utilized by government and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). “This is promising as it will accelerate our procurement process and contribute to our efforts to fully digitalize governance. This is our way to provide solutions and open opportunities for our partners in government and in the private sector,” he said.

Designed to assist technology-driven startups, the DOST Startup Grant Fund (SGF) Program helps transform early-stage innovations into market-ready products. Since July 2022, DOST has supported 123 startups nationwide through the SGF program. Shoppable Business will leverage this support to further develop its platform and expand its reach.

With a P3 million grant from the DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD), the startup aims to revolutionize business procurement processes in the Philippines by automating procurement workflows and provide a business-to-business marketplace.

According to Carlo Silva, the project leader and CEO of Shoppable Business, the manual way of request for quotations (RFQ) that is done today by MSMEs and Enterprises involves 16 steps on average, from a new request to finding new suppliers, supplier accreditations, approvals, payments and all the way to delivery. This translates into 21 days of processing time, including delays and disruptions due to business inefficiencies from all parties involved in the transaction.

"We are honored to be chosen as a DOST-PCIEERD SGF grant beneficiary," said Silva. "This support will enable us to enhance our platform and reach more businesses, ensuring they have access to FREE e-procurement software and verified suppliers”.

With Quotable, companies can automate their workflows, reducing the time spent on a new quotation request from 21 days to 3-5 days. For requests from existing suppliers, quotes can be sent within 24 hours, with the potential for same-day delivery. By digitizing their business operations, companies can save thousands of man-hours and millions of pesos annually.

DOST-PCIEERD Executive Director Dr. Enrico C. Paringit expressed optimism that Quotable will soon be available to the public and used in the light of the new government procurement act.

“As we strive to become the Nexus of Innovation, we soldier on in finding novel approaches to the common concerns of the Filipino people. We look forward to supporting startups who want to up the ante of their products and services to the country,” he said.

The DOST-PCIEERD SGF Program has funded over 61 startups with more than PHP 246 million over the past five years.

In the Council’s recent cycle, the program drives innovation across sectors including sustainable industries, education, creative industries, data-driven technologies, climate change, and productivity enhancement tools. Shoppable Business is an end-to-end supply chain workflow solution for businesses to manage all purchasing from existing suppliers and to discover new ones.

Led by Silva, Sam Blanquera, Chris Blanquera, and Mark Reyes, the company focuses on building supply chain technology for businesses to improve productivity, efficiency and decrease costs to improve a company's bottom line. Shoppable Business is set to transform business procurement in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.