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Publication - Progress report

Procurement: SME and third sector action plan - updates

Published
26 August 2025
Directorate
Scottish Procurement and Property Directorate
Topic
Public sector

Shows progress against commitments in our action plan to make it easier for small businesses and third sector organisations to win public contracts.

Policy and practice

Lower value procurement review

Our commitment

We will review the processes and policies of lower value procurements for accessibility for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and explore opportunities to implement improvements.

Actions: 2024 to 2025

We are:

  • exploring ways to extend subcontracting opportunities, including new functionality in the integrated system replacing Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) and PCS tender systems
  • reviewing thresholds in the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 and will engage with stakeholders to test options

Contract pipeline transparency

Our commitment

We will explore the opportunity to increase the transparency of contract pipelines and promote giving more time for organisations to prepare and respond to contracting opportunities.

Actions: 2024 to 2025

We:

  • publish quarterly forward plans of contracts from Procurement Centres of Expertise, providing 12-18 months advance notice of collaborative opportunities
  • issued guidance promoting the Scottish Futures Trust's Construction Pipeline Forecast Tool, creating a central repository for future public sector construction work

Prompt payment

Our commitment

We will continue to champion prompt payment of suppliers and their supply chains and to promote and enable our policy on prompt payment through the supply chain developed in collaboration with industry.

Actions: 2024 to 2025

We:

  • ensured national procurement training frameworks and e-learning now promote better engagement with SMEs and third sector organisations whilst encouraging prompt payment throughout supply chains

Commercial capability programmes

Our commitment

We will create targeted commercial capability programmes to drive greater consistency in local practice.

Actions: 2024 to 2025

We:

  • completed a review of the National Procurement and Commercial Training Framework, highlighting the duty to facilitate SME and third sector involvement
  • made new evaluator eLearning available via the Scotland Excel Academy
  • are reviewing the construction capability assessment tool to enhance SME participation
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