Annual report on procurement activity in Scotland: 2019

7. Future procurement activity

The introduction to this document confirmed that this is the first report summarising the regulated procurement activity of higher spending public bodies in Scotland. Its publication supports the increased transparency and visibility of public procurement in Scotland.

Publishing future contract opportunities also supports better information, increased transparency and visibility. It provides a better basis for engagement, whether that be with those interested in doing business with the public sector or with other public bodies to assist with identifying potential opportunities to collaborate. That is why the 2014 Act requires public bodies to include a summary of the regulated procurements expected to commence in the next two financial years within their annual procurement reports.

The total estimated value of procurements for the next two financial years provided in annual procurement reports is over £9.6 billion. The range of future procurements varied greatly in value and type and often there were variations by sector – for example, future procurements for universities and colleges included catering services, student recruitment and faculty teaching equipment, while local authorities noted future procurements such as community meals, housing support and school and nursery refurbishments.

There were also many similarities in the types of procurements listed by public bodies across the different sectors, with some types of future procurements common across sectors – for example, pest control, boiler maintenance and waste management.

Some public bodies gave information about future opportunities for collaboration in their reports – this related to upcoming contracts that bodies could work collaboratively to tender, or working collaboratively themselves with other authorities and partners to promote innovation.

Other public bodies provided information about how they planned to help suppliers identify future procurements – examples included advertising via Public Contracts Scotland or the body's own website, or by providing relevant information in their procurement strategy.