Vessel procurement processes: FOI release

Information requested

Further to earlier correspondence regarding Cal Mac Ferries I request to know whether these tenders were still subject to the Public Procurement Act requirements and provide a copy of the Pre-qualification panels scoring for all yards.

Response

With regard to the first part of the request around vessel procurement process, Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL), as procuring authority, operate under the Utilities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016 (which serves the same purposes as Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015) and also comply with the statutory and legislative requirements derived from The Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014.

CMAL procurement strategy document:

https://www.cmassets.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Procurement-Strategy-2020-23-FINAL.pdf

On the second part of the request around pre-qualification scoring, while our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not hold this information.

This is therefore a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not hold the information you are requesting.

Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited are the procuring authority therefore I would suggest that you contact them directly to request this information. However, as the information you have asked for is likely to be commercially sensitive and this is still a live procurement exercise, I suspect they will be unable to
provide you with the information you have requested.

A copy of CMAL’s News Release, which issued on 14 September 2021 can be found at the attached link:

CMAL caledonian maritime assets ltd four shipyards invited to tender for new islay vessels - cmalcaledonian maritime assets ltd (cmassets.co.uk)

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.