Heritage: sustainable procurement guidance

Overview: heritage protection and enhancement

This guidance is concerned with buying products or services that have potential negative impacts on heritage, or there are opportunities to enhance heritage.

It is important that when we have identified heritage risks or opportunities associated with the products or services that we buy, that we understand the alternative options available to us. This will be achieved through gathering market intelligence and good pre-procurement supplier engagement.

The categories of procurement that can have both a positive and negative impact on heritage range from construction, land management, estates and facilities and fishing.

Many opportunities to make improvements will need to be identified at the design stage of the procurement. 

This may include decisions regarding protection measures needed when undertaking infrastructure or construction projects.

Description of risk or opportunity

Will the supply of products or providing of relevant services potentially impact negatively on Scotland's protected areas (land and marine) and historic buildings, or the public's use of these sites?  

Is there an opportunity to enhance Scotland's protected areas or the public's use of them?

For example, impacts on protected areas and sites as a result of providing products or services. Heritage may be enhanced through, for example, protecting and enhancing Scotland's heritage resources, and allowing improved access to them.