Economy and Fair Work Committee
Post-Legislative Scrutiny of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014
Overview
The Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 introduced duties on public bodies to consider how procurement could be used to improve the wellbeing of their local areas. That includes looking at the impact on the economic, social and environmental health of the area.
The 2014 Act also looked to make it easier for small businesses, third sector organisations and supported businesses to be a part of public procurement.
The Economy and Fair Work Committee wants to know if the Act is achieving these aims.
The Committee also wants to know what the experience of bidding is like since the Act, particularly for those it sought to open up the process to. We are particularly interested to know what the administrative burden for bidders is.
Your views
As part of the inquiry, the Committee undertook a call for views which closed on 3 October 2023.
The Committee welcomed responses to any of the following questions.
- What are the main barriers to businesses accessing public procurement contracts in Scotland, and how have these barriers changed since the Procurement Reform Act (Scotland) 2014 was implemented?
- Does the sustainable procurement duty mean that adequate weighting is given to environmental considerations?
- The sustainable procurement duty aims to promote fair work practices. How effectively is this reaching secondary suppliers and the wider supply chain
- The Scottish Government have a framework contract which reserves opportunities for supported businesses (businesses where more than 50 per cent of the workforce and disabled workers unable to take up work in the open labour market). What is your experience of engaging with this framework as a supported business?
- How effective are community benefit requirements in procurement contracts, and how appropriate is the £4 million threshold?
- What is your experience of tendering or bidding for framework contracts and lots within large contracts, are these becoming more prevalent in Scotland, and what is your view on how accessible these opportunities are?
- What is the administrative burden of complying with procurement regulations in Scotland, and how has this changed since the 2014 Act was implemented?
- How can procurement policy in Scotland support the strengthening of local supply chains?
- What are the opportunities to reform procurement in Scotland following the UK’s exit from the European Union?
Read the written submissions here
Additional written evidence from Scottish Fair Trade Forum (114KB, pdf) posted 20 February 2024
Additional written evidence from Scottish Water (186KB, pdf) posted 27 February 2024
Additional written evidence from Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges (98KB, pdf) posted 28 February 2024