Procurement activity: annual report 2021 to 2022

Highlights

Overview

6,359

A total of 6,359 regulated contracts were awarded by the 128 reporting bodies (up from 5,421 regulated contracts across 118 public bodies last year), accounting for £9.3 billion.

£16.0bn

Total Scottish public sector procurement spend was £16.0 billion, of which £8.9 billion was spent in Scotland alone.

18,880

18,880 suppliers were awarded public sector contracts through Public Contracts Scotland. Of these suppliers, 78% were SMEs.

Good for the economy

£13.8bn

Around £13.8 billion of economic activity, 130,000 full-time equivalent jobs and £7.5 billion to Scottish GDP was generated from the £16.0 billion in public procurement spend during the year.

Good for businesses and their employees

£27.9m

Across 110 public bodies, the total combined spend on regulated contracts awarded to supported businesses was £27.9 million (compared with £13.3 million last year).

55p

For every pound spent with suppliers in Scotland, 55 pence went to an SME (where business size is known) (compared with 51 pence in every pound last year).

2,016

Across 95 public bodies, a combined total of 2,016 suppliers committed to paying the real Living Wage in delivering regulated contracts (compared with 2,049 suppliers from 85 public bodies last year).

Good for places and communities

£4.3bn

48.9% of all public procurement spend in Scotland, totalling £4.3 billion, was with suppliers based in the 60% most deprived areas in Scotland (where SIMD classification is known) (compared with 48.7% and £3.9 billion last year).

78%

78% of all contracts valued at or above £4 million included community benefit requirements (compared to 65% last year).

£3.8bn

£3.8 billion (or 43.3%) of spend in Scotland was with suppliers based within the local area of the purchasing body.

£1.1bn

Approximately £1.1 billion of Scottish public body procurement spend in Scotland was with third sector organisations.

Good for society

80%

80% of public bodies provided evidence of carrying out their procurement activity with regard to equal treatment and non-discrimination (compared to 81% last year).

71%

71% of reporting bodies provided evidence of how they were addressing environmental wellbeing and climate change through procurement (the same rate as last year).

Open and connected

84%

84% of public bodies provided evidence in their reports that they had carried out their procurements in a transparent manner (compared with 89% last year).