Scottish Procurement Policy Notes (SPPNs)

Introduction

SPPNs provide advice to public sector organisations and other relevant bodies on procurement policy.

These were written at a given point in time and, while the majority of principles, guidance and individual references to legislation, web links etc. will still be relevant some of these might also have been superseded. This means some caution shoud be exercised when reading them.

The Procurement Journey website is the main source of procurement best practice guidance for use by the Scottish public sector. It provides the most up-to-date source of information on many of the subjects covered by the SPPNs.

If you are in any doubt about a specific subject matter you should refer to the Procurement Journey in the first instance.

Thereafter, any other questions about individual SPPNs should be directed to Scottish Procurement, using the contact details at the bottom of this page. 

2020 SPPNs

• Coronavirus (COVID-19): recovery and transition from COVID-19: SPPN 8/2020
• Annual procurement reports, revised procurement strategies and notifying Scottish Ministers: SPPN 7/2020
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): making best use of procurement resources during COVID-19 outbreak SPPN 6/2020
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): supplier relief SPPN 5/2020
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): procurement regulations for public bodies SPPN 4/2020
• Reducing the risk of human trafficking and exploitation in the performance of public contracts: SPPN 3/2020
• Scottish public sector supplier cyber security guidance: SPPN 2/2020
• Public procurement rules after EU Exit on 31 January 2020: SPPN 1/2020

2019 SPPNs

• New EU procurement thresholds from 1 January 2020: SPPN 8/2019
• Climate change and the circular economy consultations: SPPN 7/2019
• Minor amendments to utilities and concession contracts legislation: SPPN 6/2019
• Advertising subcontracting opportunities on the Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) website: SPPN 5/2019
• Annual procurement reports, revised procurement strategies and notifying Scottish Ministers: SPPN 4/2019
• Transposition of the EU Electronic Invoicing Directive SPPN 3/2019
• Update: Procurement legislation in Scotland in the event of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit SPPN 2/2019
• Procurement legislation in Scotland in the event of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit SPPN 1/2019

2018 SPPNs

• Important changes to data protection legislation: SPPN 02/2018
• Annual procurement reports, revised procurement strategies, notifying Ministers: SPPN 01/2018

2017 SPPNs

• EU procurement thresholds from January 2018
• Reserving contracts for supported businesses: SPPN 04/2017
• Speculative framework agreements: SPPN 03/2017
• Change to tax legislation for temporary workers: SPPN 02/2017
• Implementation of building information modelling within construction projects: SSPN 01/2017

2016 SPPNs

• Important change to tax legislation (off-payroll working): SPPN 12/2016
• Procurement strategies and notifying Scottish Ministers: SPPN 11/2016
• Implementation of project bank accounts in construction contracts: SPPN 10/2016
• Ensuring compliance with environmental, social and labour laws: SPPN 09/2016
• EU thresholds from 18 April 2016: SPPN 08/2016
• Update to procurement of care and support services: SPPN 07/2016
• European Single Procurement Document (Scotland): SPPN 06/2016
• Guidance under the procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014: SPPN 05/2016
• Procurement activity during the Scottish Parliament election period: SPPN 04/2016
• Guidance on projects with a significant steel composition: SPPN 03/2016
• Changes following the Utilities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016: SPPN 02/2016
• Procurement Reform update: SPPN 01/2016

Pre-2016 SPPNs

See current SPPNs issued prior to 2016.