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Scottish Government's Publications on Procurement and Tendering
The Scottish Government has produced a number of publications to help providers learn more about procurement and tendering.
Tendering for Public Sector Contracts
The Scottish Government has commissioned a guide to support social enterprises and voluntary organisations that want to tender for public sector contracts called Tendering for Public Sector Contracts 2nd Edition.
SP Procurement Information Sheet 2007
The Scottish Government produced a factsheet called SP Procurement Information Sheet 2007 in response to enquiries from Supporting People lead officers and service providers, seeking guidance and information on Procurement and European Union Procurement Directives. The fact sheet focusses on services in receipt of Supporting People funding but remains relevant to housing support services following the end of the Supporting People programme.
Scottish Procurement Directorate
The Scottish Procurement Directorate (SPD) issued guidance in October 2007 for public bodies about how they can legitimately consider social issues when developing a procurement procedure. In its introduction the SPD also states the guidance is 'intended to remind purchasers that only companies with acceptable standards of conduct and business ethics/practices should be considered as suitable to be awarded public contracts.'
The sort of social issues highlighted include standards of conduct and business ethics and practice as well as considering wider social benefits and the provision of supported employment opportunities.
This guidance acknowledges that small and medium sized enterprises, social enterprises and voluntary organisations tend not to take part in tendering exercises conducted by public bodies. The guidance suggests steps that public bodies such as local authorities should take to address this reluctance. These steps include organising events to meet potential providers and considering how best to make information available about the contract and tendering process given that some organisations will not have had previous experience of taking part in such processes.Further guidance is being developed on community benefits in procurement which will consider in greater detail issues around wider social benefits or 'social added value'.
Whilst the SPD is considering broader contracting issues than simply housing support this new guidance is nevertheless significant because it seeks to reinforce previous statements that public bodies should not simply be awarding contracts on the basis of lowest cost. This guidance states that the organisation and how it goes about delivering a service is also important and something the government expects public bodies, such as local authorities, to consider before awarding contracts.