Public Contracts Scotland is the national advertising website for Scottish public sector organisations to post Official Journal of the European Union notices and low value contracts commonly known as sub-threshold notices on the website and make subsequent awards. It also allows contracting authorities to invite suppliers to submit quotations electronically via the website’s secure tender postbox. Public Contracts Scotland was launched by John SwinneyMSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, at the National Procurement conference in October 2008. "Government really have to stretch themselves to design things that make an impact on people and organisations and Public Contracts Scotland is one of them. It is one of the most fantastic tools I've ever seen. I am delighted with the performance of Public Contracts Scotland and I look forward to that having a further effect on the way that the market operates in years to come." John Swinney MSP Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, 2009.
Background
Public Contracts Scotland was created as a result of John McClelland's 2006 Review of Public Procurement in Scotland. The McClelland report called for a single public sector "electronic portal" to be established as a part of the Scottish Government’s Public Procurement Reform Programme. As a result, in October 2008 Public Contracts Scotland was launched. The site provides suppliers with easy access to all essential information on public sector contract opportunities, encouraging a competitive market environment generating a better deal for the taxpayer. The site provides purchasers with a centralised system to advertise all types of contracts to thousands of registered suppliers. It is Scottish Government policy for all contracting authorities in Scotland to use Public Contracts Scotland. This includes Scottish Local Authorities, NHS Scotland, the Scottish Government and Scottish Government Family, higher/further education institutes and emergency services. In total the public sector in Scotland Procures over £9bn worth of goods and services every year, with approximately 150 public bodies each spending over £1m every year, sixty percent of which spend more than £25 million a year on goods and services. Public Contracts Scotland provides a connection for private businesses to access contract opportunities from public sector purchasers. Public Contracts Scotland is managed by Proactis Tenders Ltd. who also develop and manage the tender alert service Tenders Direct as well as the national public procurement websites for Wales.
Developments
Public Contracts Scotland continues to introduce new tools and upgrades
