Procurement: SME and third sector action plan 2024-2026

Our Actions 2024–2026

The following actions outline the activity we will develop and undertake over the next two years to build on and further the support to increase SME and third sector engagement in our supply chains. We will promote the SME and Third Sector Action Plan, and will track its progress and impact to ensure the actions outlined below are progressed timeously.

Oversight and Communications

No. 1.

Planned actions

We will provide a variety of opportunities for engagement with SMEs and third sector organisations by:

• Committing to holding annual roundtable events with SME and third sector Stakeholders.
• Reviewing the Procurement Supply Group to ensure sectors are represented proportionally.

When

2024 then updated annually

Expected Outcomes

• To test and inform our procurement policies and approaches to ensure they are both impactful and business friendly.
• Promote public procurement to SMEs and third sector organisations that have previously not engaged with public sector procurement.
• To hear from SMEs and third sector organisations on their experiences with public sector procurement in order to inform continuous improvement.

No. 2.

Planned actions

We will improve the accessibility of the guidance available by:

• Reviewing the accessibility and practicality of existing guidance and tools.
• Promoting the one-stop-shop Guidance on Public Procurement for SMEs and Third Sector Suppliers which is an essential resource for organisations engaging with public sector procurement.
• Updating and publicising the Public Contracts Scotland Supplier Guidance.
• Reviewing and enhancing, where possible, the consortium bidding guidance.
• Promoting the Scotland Innovates service, PCS developments and innovation guidance as a mechanism to enable engagement with innovative businesses and entrepreneurs.

When

Ongoing

Expected Outcomes

• Equip SMEs and third sector organisations with hints, tips and tools to better engage with public procurement in Scotland by ensuring that support and guidance is more user-friendly and easy to find.
• Ensure suppliers become more visible to buyers on the PCS System.
• Increase awareness around consortium bidding options.
• Increase awareness around Scotland Innovates and potential supplier collaboration opportunities.

No. 3.

Planned actions

We will support organisations who provide practical public procurement support for SMEs and the third sector through a variety of channels by:

• Supporting and part funding the Supplier Development Programme as well as actively supporting their Meet the Buyer events.
• Supporting the Just Enterprise Business Support Programme, a core element of which is supporting third sector organisations with procurement and tender writing.
• Promoting other sources of support for businesses via the Scottish Enterprise Business Support Portal.

When

2024–2025 (reviewed annually)

Expected Outcomes

• More opportunity for SMEs and third sector organisations to engage with procurement officials allowing two-way dialogue.
• Opportunity for SMEs and third sector organisations to hear more regular updates on any policy or guidance changes and/or new initiatives.

Policy and Practice

No. 4.

Planned actions

We will review the processes and policies of lower value procurements for accessibility for SMEs and explore opportunities to implement improvements.

When

2024–2025

Expected Outcomes

Increase accessibility of lower value contract opportunities.

No. 5.

Planned actions

We will explore the opportunity to increase the transparency of contract pipelines and promote giving more time for organisations to prepare and respond to contracting opportunities. Based on industry feedback this will include exploring opportunities to:

• Consolidate existing pipelines
• Engage suppliers early in potential opportunities.
• Encourage more organisations to publish their contract pipelines.

When

2025-2026

Expected Outcomes

To allow:

• More time to investigate and formulate responses to potential opportunities.
• More time to consider consortium bidding options.
• More general visibility of sub-contracting opportunities.

No. 6.

Planned actions

We will continue to champion prompt payment of suppliers and their supply chains and to promote and enable our policy on prompt payment through the supply chain developed in collaboration with industry.

When

Ongoing

Expected Outcomes

• Encouraging purchasing bodies to pay promptly and include prompt payment of their suppliers and supply chains in their terms and conditions.
• Increase awareness of our prompt payment policy and the existing support and legal levers available to support prompt payment throughout supply chains.

No. 7.

Planned actions

We will create targeted commercial capability programmes to drive greater consistency in local practice by:

• Working with our contracted providers of procurement training to update training courses and materials for public sector buyers to highlight opportunities to better engage with SMEs and third sector organisations.
• Reviewing the results of the Procurement & Commercial Improvement Programme (PCIP) to identify opportunities to help drive local understanding, capability and consistency of approach.

When

2024-2025

Expected Outcomes

• Increase consistency of procurement practice to make it easier for SMEs and third sector organisations to bid for contracts right across the public sector in Scotland.

Systems and Tools

No. 8.

Planned actions

We will continue to develop the quality of procurement data and management information available to better understand where procurement spend is reaching SMEs and third sector organisations by:

• Issuing Supplier Surveys to understand the impact of our policies and aspirations on SME and third sector organisations exploring opportunities for improvement.
• Enhancing the third sector data from supplier finder on PCS to facilitate search functionality.
• Exploring opportunities to streamline procurement systems, and the SME and third sector experience, through the eProcurement Future Systems Programme.

When

Ongoing

Expected Outcomes

• Ensure support and guidance continues to be useful and relevant.
• Identify areas where more support, guidance, tools or engagement is required.
• Ensure procurement policy and practice is proportionate, relevant and impactful, delivering for Scotland.
• Make it easier for buyers to find and engage with SMEs and third sector organisations on PCS.
• Ensure our procurement systems are user-friendly.