We have a procurement team which aims to ensure that we use good practice processes throughout the organisation when buying goods and services from our suppliers and achieve value for money.

Code of conduct

Scottish Enterprise fully supports the Scottish Government's Charter with regard to how we treat our suppliers in our tender processes.

Reducing the burden of tendering for suppliers

In conjunction with other public sector organisations including the Scottish Government, we are working hard to reduce the burden of tendering for our suppliers. As with all public sector organisations, we are obliged to comply with complex legislation, which can sometimes lead to lengthy tender processes. Our aim is to simplify these processes as far as is possible.

We have recently simplified our tender documentation and revised our terms and conditions in order to share risk in a more equal manner with our suppliers and make these documents easier to read.

To ensure smaller suppliers are not disadvantaged by our procurement processes, we will only set evaluation criteria that are proportionate and directly relevant to our requirements.

Tendering for contracts

You can view and register for notification of contract opportunities on Public Contracts Scotland. In addition to Scottish Enterprise contracts, you will also find details of opportunities for many other Scottish public sector organisations on this site. 

For more advice and guidance on tendering, view Scottish Government Procurement, read the Business Gateway guide to tendering for public contracts, or join the Supplier Development Programme. The Scottish Government provides a step by step guide to the procurement process to help suppliers. You can view the 'Supplier Journey' on the Scottish Government website.

We are currently working closely with the Scottish Government and other public sector bodies to introduce a standardised electronic registration system. This will significantly reduce the amount of work suppliers need to undertake in applying for higher value advertised opportunities. Further details will be available in the coming months. 

Procurement procedures

We have a range of procurement procedures dependent on the value and nature of what is being purchased.

Where we are seeking quotations for commissions below £50,000, or where we do not advertise a tender, "Quick Quotes" will be sent to three appropriate suppliers selected from suppliers registered on Public Contracts Scotland.

Contracts over £50,000 are advertised on Public Contracts Scotland and may also be advertised in trade journals or national press. Interested suppliers must formally apply for these opportunities as they appear, and applicants will be considered in terms of their capacity and capability to supply our requirements. You can also apply to receive automatic notifications of any opportunities that may be of interest to you on this site.

There are instances where we do not advertise contracts, or may not seek to obtain competitive quotations/tenders. Such instances may include where timescales do not permit us doing so; where, for reasons of continuity of supply or intellectual property rights, we need to commission a specific organisation; or instances where only a known body of suppliers can meet our requirements.

European Procurement Directives

EU Procurement Directives cover higher value commissions for goods, services, and works (construction) contracts. As a public sector organisation, we have a legal obligation to comply with these rules.

The rules currently cover most commissions over the following values (excluding VAT):

• Goods and Services: £173,934
• Works (Construction): £4,348,350

Where these rules apply, tender opportunities will be advertised in the Official Journal of the European Communities, as well as on the Public Contracts Scotland website. We may also advertise these opportunities in national newspapers and trade journals.

For more information on the European Procurement Directives and their application, visit the Scottish Government Procurement Directorate’s website.

Framework agreements

For certain requirements we may select suppliers through existing framework agreements.

A framework agreement is an arrangement between Scottish Enterprise and selected suppliers for the delivery of specific goods or services over a set period of time.

These agreements allow us to gain better value for money through aggregation of demand, simplifying the commissioning process for goods and services where we have repetitive/frequent requirements, and ensure that we engage with a manageable number of suppliers for the purpose of monitoring of supplier performance.

These frameworks have been set up using a competitive tendering process, and additional suppliers may not join a framework during its validity.

We always seek to ensure that, as far as is possible, the frameworks we set up do not discriminate against Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SME’s). This not only assists these organisations to successfully win contracts with Scottish Enterprise, but also ensures that we approach the widest marketplace possible to get the best value for money solutions.

We publish our contract and framework awards with named successful suppliers on Public Contracts Scotland. This will assist those suppliers who wish to market their services to these organisations.

We also use a number of other framework agreements available to the wider public sector. The Government Procurement Service is available within the UK and The Scottish Government offer the Scottish Procurement and Commercial Directorate Contracts and Strategy Directory within Scotland. We also use a number of other framework agreements available to the wider public sector, such as a number of those established by the Government Procurement Service

Where we do not have a framework agreement in place which covers a particular requirement, we will always seek competitive quotations or tenders, unless there are overriding business reasons for not doing so.

Contact the Scottish Enterprise procurement team

We always provide feedback as a matter of principle.

For more information on our processes and procedures, email philip.martin@scotent.co.uk or call Phil Martin, Director of Procurement & Facilities Management, on 0141 228 2233.