Sustainable procurement duty - impact and value analysis: main report

Appendix 4: Further examples of community benefit requirements

This appendix contains further examples of community benefit requirements imposed by public bodies, in addition to the examples laid out in Chapter 2.

Employability outcomes (work placements, apprenticeships, opportunities for training and qualifications, job creation, and other employability-related activity)

• the community benefits delivered by Transport Scotland’s live contracts in 2018-19 included 739 positions for new entrants, 312 apprenticeships, 219 graduate positions and 142 work placements^[155]
• Edinburgh College’s outsourced facilities management contract has resulted in five work placements for students looking to get experience in the workplace and one apprenticeship^[156]
• in Dumfries & Galloway, an engineering contract included a commitment for the contractor to hold a STEM careers event at a local high school^[157]
• a construction contract at the University of Aberdeen resulted in, among other requirements, five apprenticeships, 24 work experience placements and nine site visits by school groups^[158]
• Cassiltoun Housing Association’s contract to build 42 new housing units created three jobs for local residents between October 2018 and March 2019^[159]
• Fife Council reported that the community benefits achieved in 2018-19 include 15 jobs, nine apprenticeships and 13 qualifications achieved through training^[160]

Support for community organisations and clubs

• Edinburgh College’s outsourced facilities management contract included a community benefit requirement for the contractor to sponsor the Edinburgh College men’s football team and to provide strips^[161]
• a contract procured by City of Edinburgh Council resulted in the contractor providing materials for a community garden^[162]
• a Dumfries & Galloway Council contract for educational materials included a requirement related to the donation of A4 packs of paper, card and board to local schools^[163]
• NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde’s interpreting, communications support and translation services contracts include various community benefit requirements such as the provision of free interpretation support for public art and community projects^[164]
• Robert Gordon University’s nursery services contract includes a requirement for the contractor to support a local refuge or homeless shelter and create a space where disadvantaged children can play and learn^[165]

Charitable donations/fundraising

• City of Edinburgh Council described examples of funding support for local groups and causes including public realm art funds, school funds, digital skills, family centres, parks, playgroups and youth groups^[166]
• community benefit requirements associated with NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde’s interpreting, communications support and translation services contracts also include financial donations for the Scottish Ethnic Minority Sports Association^[167]
• the Scottish Social Services Council’s framework for catering services include various community benefit requirements related to charitable donations and fundraising including food donations to a local homeless charity and fundraising activities for Roxburgh House (an NHS Palliative Care Unit) and Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS)^[168]
• a public body reported in 2018-19 that a contract for furniture includes provision for the contractor to donate services to social enterprises

Reducing environmental impact

• Edinburgh College’s outsourced facilities management contract includes requirements for the contractor to minimise negative environmental impacts. Actions include reducing the contractor’s vehicle fleet at Edinburgh College, where possible using College vehicles instead, and continual monitoring of the Building Management Systems to ensure energy usage is reduced^[169]
• community benefit requirements achieved by Scottish Canals include resources and materials for volunteers to use in litter picking and graffiti removal^[170]
• community benefits achieved by one public body include the re-use of waste from a road repair contract (public body annual procurement report, 2018-19)
• New College Lanarkshire’s transport contracts include a requirement related to the use of fuel-efficient vehicles^[171]
• a public body reported that, as part of a floor coverings contract, carpets will be recycled to avoid landfill, re-purposed or donated to charities or the social sector (public body annual procurement report, 2018-19)

In addition, the Scottish Prison Service provided a detailed description of community benefit requirements associated with its £28 million per annum Scottish Court Custody & Prison Escort Services contract, and this is presented below.

“The vehicles used by GEO Amey (the contractor) all meet the latest Euro 6 standards. All (152) vehicles have passed the latest Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure, (WLTP), Real World Testing conditions, which prove that whilst travelling loaded the emissions are as clean as possible and when idling the emissions are minimal. The new GEO Amey fleet vehicles are now the most environmentally friendly vehicles in use (having replaced a fleet used under the last contract which was generally Euro 4 or Euro 5 compliant).

Geo Amey also uses routing/scheduling tools to optimise efficient journey planning for the range of daily movements on individuals across the Police Scotland, SPS and Scottish Court Service estate. In-cab fleet management tools provide the contractor with oversight of driver behaviour, performance and will allow re-routing based on live-information of the prevailing road conditions. The contract also reflects obligations upon the Geo Amey to monitor carbon management performance under the contract and to report this to the SPS. Separately, the SPS continues to make use of video conference links between some prisons and courts to minimise the requirement for some individuals to travel at all”^[172]

Business support for SMEs, social enterprises and/or the third sector

• a contractor with City of Edinburgh Council provides business mentoring support for third sector and micro businesses^[173]
• a construction contract procured by Dumfries & Galloway Council includes various development activities for SMEs such as business health check clinics and workshops on health and safety^[174]
• Glasgow City Council achieved 95 hours of business mentoring for social enterprises, third sector organisations and supported businesses through its procurement activity in 2018-19^[175]
• community benefit requirements achieved by the University of Strathclyde include support for third sector organisations and mentoring for SMEs^[176]