Procurement activity: annual report 2021 to 2022

3. Future procurement activity

As part of the 2014 Act, public bodies must, in their annual procurement reports, provide a summary of the regulated procurements expected to commence over the next two financial years. This is important in providing suppliers with advanced notice of upcoming contract opportunities, enabling those who are interested in bidding to plan ahead.

In their annual procurement reports for 2021 to 2022, 116 public bodies (87%) included information on the total number of regulated procurements they expected to commence in the next two years (i.e. 2022-2023 and 2023-2024). The total combined number of regulated procurements expected to commence in the next two financial years is 6,656.

6,656

The total combined number of regulated procurements expected to commence in the next two financial years is 6,656.

One hundred and four public bodies (79%) provided information about the total estimated value of regulated procurements expected to commence in the next two years. The combined total estimated value across all bodies reporting this information is £18.1 billion.

Public bodies detailed a wide range of expected future procurements, some examples of which are provided below:

• In the local government sector – young carers support, school transport, flood protection, mobile CCTV, waste and recycling services, school counselling services and electric vehicle leasing
• across central government and other significant bodies – temporary and interim staff, digital marketing, facilities management services, cleaning services and cyber resilience assurance
• within the universities and colleges sector – supply of office, computer and library supplies, campus extensions, student and staff online wellbeing services, digital marketing and software licences
• in the health sector – mental health services, drug and alcohol services, patient transport services and provision of GP services
• across registered social landlords – medical adaptions, repairs programmes, utilities procurement, affordable housing construction and facilities management.

In addition to providing an overview of upcoming contracts, some public bodies also noted the challenges that lay ahead for their organisation in terms of their ability to conduct their procurements. The West of Scotland Housing Association was one such organisation, with this body stressing the importance of collaboration with its supplier base in overcoming these challenges:

“The year ahead is likely to be the one of the most challenging years so far in respect of being able to procure effectively as a result of external factors such as Brexit, impact of the pandemic, rise in costs and shortage in labour and the war in Ukraine. It is important that we try and develop a partnership approach with key suppliers.” ^[28]