Procurement: annual report 2022 to 2023

Foreword

I am delighted to present Scottish Government's annual procurement report for 2022 to 2023. As well as showcasing the highlights and a strong performance across the reporting year, it also demonstrates the real impact and great progress public procurement continues to make in so many different areas.

All of which have been achieved in the face of increasing inflationary pressures, a turbulent cost of living crisis and the impacts of the conflict in Ukraine. I'm proud to see procurement continuing to play a pivotal role in our drive towards a sustainable economy and delivering for the people of Scotland.

The reporting year included some major milestones for public procurement, not least of which was the development of the Public Procurement Strategy for Scotland. Whilst the strategy wasn't officially published until April 2023, the vast majority of the collaboration to develop the content was completed within the reporting period. This strategy sets out the road map for the next five years and our ambitious future vision for the procurement function in Scotland. With the expectation going forward that all organisations will align their procurement strategies to this vision.

We are putting public procurement at the heart of a sustainable economy to maximise value for the people of Scotland. To achieve this, we must harness the significant public sector spend in Scotland to promote a green and just economic recovery. This will allow us to emerge stronger and to deliver the best possible outcomes for the people of Scotland and this report demonstrates the steps we are taking to achieve that.

What is also vitally important, is our need to innovate. Our vision is to become one of the most innovative small nations in the world and we aim to fully utilise innovation as a driver to grow our economy, create jobs and deliver priority outcomes for the people of Scotland. We will adopt innovative technologies and processes that will help businesses increase their resilience and capacity for growth and ensure that all of our businesses, people and institutions are ready and able to meet the global economic challenges and opportunities we face, together.

Looking ahead, we remain resolute in our determination to build a more sustainable future. We will continue to collaborate, adapt, and leverage partnerships to amplify our impact and create lasting change to support our ambitions to make Scotland a more prosperous and fairer nation.

Nick Ford, Director Procurement & Property, Scottish Government