Procurement - external advisers: Celtic framework agreement - buyers guide

Framework overview

The Framework is a tri-party agreement between the Welsh Government, Northern Ireland Executive, and Scottish Government, lotted as follows to cover each jurisdiction:

• lot 1 - Northern Ireland Executive
• lot 2 - Scottish Government
• lot 3 - Welsh Government

Each Lot covers not only the needs of the Devolved Government to which it refers, but also those of the various public bodies it serves.   

Call-Off Contracts cannot be awarded after 31st August 2026, unless the Framework is formally extended by Scottish Government/ Welsh Government Procurement Team

Scope

The Framework provides for a timely, efficient and effective mechanism to a range of pre-approved, suitably qualified and experienced Framework Suppliers to provide access to external advisers who can lead and/or participate in independent assurance reviews, arranged and managed through the assurance Hub in Scotland (Portfolio Programme, and Project Assurance Hub, and the Digital Assurance Office). The common subject matters in review programmes are as detailed in Annex 2 of the buyers guide, with expected responsibilities and outputs of the Supplier’s external advisers are detailed in Annex 3. Of the buyers guide.

This Framework allows for contracting of the following services with subject matters as defined in Annex 2 of the buyers guide.  

Service A - Independent Assurance Services; and

Service B - Other Project Assurance Services (programme/project management)

Services out with those detailed in Annex 2 of the buyers guide, are out of scope and cannot be procured through this framework Call-Off order process.

Eligibility to access the framework

The Framework Public Bodies able to access Lot 2 of the Framework Agreement are:

• the Scottish Ministers (including agencies)
• Scottish non-departmental public bodies
• offices in the Scottish Administration which are not ministerial offices
• cross- border public authorities within the meaning of section 88(5) of the Scotland Act 1998
• the Scotland Office
• the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body
• councils constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994
• Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
• the Scottish Police Authority
• Scottish health boards or special health boards
• bodies registered as social landlords under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001
• Student Loans Company Limited
• the Forestry Commission, the Commissioner of Northern Lighthouse (operating as the Northern Lighthouse Board)
• Equality and Human Rights Commission
• Business Stream Ltd
• the Business Gateway National Unit at the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
• further or higher education institutions being fundable bodies within the meaning of section 6 of the further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005
• any public body established by or under the Scotland Act 1998 or any Act of the Scottish Parliament
• any association of or formed by one or more of the foregoing, bodies financed wholly or mainly by one or more of the foregoing
• bodies subject to management supervision by one or more of the foregoing and bodies more than half of the board of directors or members of which, or, in the case of a group of individuals, more than half of those individuals, being appointed by one or more of the foregoing

In addition to the contracting authorities listed, the framework agreement will be available to charities entered on the Scottish Charity Register and voluntary organisations entered on the Membership Database of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations.

Information about Scottish public bodies is available online.

Note: It is the responsibility of any framework public body user to determine its eligibility to use the framework. Entitlement guidance on this can be found in Scottish Government Guidance on Framework Agreements. If there is any doubt, legal advice should be sought.

Framework benefits

Any resulting Sustainable benefits including Environmental and Community Benefits offered by the Framework Suppliers when bidding for a place on the Framework will be monitored by the Welsh Government through the life of the Framework.

Scottish Government’s Fair Work First policy, Community Benefits policy and Cyber Security standards have not been tested at Framework level and Buyers/DPOs should therefore consider whether these are required on a case-by-case basis at Call Down level.