Procurement strategy: April 2025 to March 2028

13. Supplier Engagement and Contract Management

13.1 Supplier Engagement

We are continuously developing new ways to engage with the supplier community. We consult through a number of mediums including round tables, conferences, forums and representative groups such as the PSG.

We have a comprehensive and joined-up set of tools, policy support and guidance which together help simplify our processes and enable buyers and suppliers to access procurement information and opportunities more easily. These include the Supplier Journey, the Client Guide to Construction Projects, and PCS which are summarised in Appendix 2.

Supplier Engagement

• Concerns or Queries; Single Point of Enquiry
• Supplier Development Programme
• Meet the Buyer
• Forecasted Tender Opportunities
• How to Engage with Public Procurement in Scotland
• Current Tender Opportunities
• Client Guide
• Guidance on how to bid: Supplier Journey
• Register for Updates
• Contract Notices

13.2 SMEs, Third Sector and Supported Businesses

SMEs, the third sector and supported businesses are critical to the social, economic and environmental health of Scotland and we are committed to leveraging the full procurement rules to make it as easy as possible for them to bid for and win public procurement contracts and/or participate in local supply chains.

In October 2024 we published a guide on How to Engage with Public Procurement in Scotland, this short Engagement Guide sits within the document library in the Supplier Journey. The guide outlines how organisations can locate bidding opportunities and offers signposting to training and guidance on how to bid. In addition, the guide includes information on sources of support which may be of interest to organisations who currently are, or hope to be, involved in public sector contracts.

The Supplier Journey contains useful information for bidders and suppliers on how they can engage with the procurement process. This information covers how to become a part of supply chains, how to find relevant contract opportunities, how to bid for and win contracts and how to win spaces on framework and DPS agreements. Information on engaging with public procurement in Scotland can be found here.

We consider how our procurements are conducted and how contracts are developed, to reduce barriers and enable participation of SMEs, third sector organisations and supported businesses in public sector procurement.

In 2024 we published the SME and third sector action plan. The plan sets out the actions we intend to take to collaborate, engage and reduce the barriers for SMEs and third sector organisations when engaging with public procurement processes. We are monitoring and tracking our progress against the actions outlined within the plan.

We collaboratively developed one-stop-shop Guidance on Public Procurement for SMEs and Third Sector Suppliers for businesses and third sector organisations on how to access, bid for and win public contracts, signposting a comprehensive and joined up suite of resources to support suppliers which we will continue to promote.

All regulated procurements are advertised using PCS and we are committed to reviewing the processes and policies of lower value procurements for accessibility for SMEs. We will also use our market knowledge, systems and processes to improve access and will split large requirements into specialist or geographical lots to open the opportunities to SMEs, and where appropriate, apply lot-limiting or multi-supplier strategies to ensure a fairer share of business.

In accordance with our commitments in the action plans that underpin Scotland’s Social Enterprise Strategy 2016-2026, we will continue to work with supported businesses across Scotland, to realise their potential of accessing and winning public contracts, through the use of reserved contracts and other mechanisms.

We will continue to offer advice, workshops and learning through the Business Support for the Third Sector contract (currently delivered through the Just Enterprise consortium) as part of a coherent ecosystem of business support for social enterprise. Third sector organisations also benefit from the free training, support and information available from the Supplier Development Programme.

13.3 Contract Management

Effective engagement with our suppliers through early market engagement and ongoing contract management is critical to delivering outcomes through procurement.

Contract managers must complete the mandatory Contract and Supplier Management (CSM) essentials eLearning module before contract handover. Further interactive training is available with each additional module covering a specialist topic:

• Project Management and Planning;
• Contract Process;
• Contract Documentation;
• Performance Management;
• Financial Management; and
• Stakeholder and Supplier Management.

A dedicated team provide support and guidance to those who manage Scottish Government contracts. However, contract management responsibility is devolved to individual business areas. Help is available with:

• contract handover and implementation;
• contract management training;
• contract dispute resolution;
• contract variations and extensions;
• commercial support in supplier meetings;
• supplier financial checks, insurance and business probity; and
• supplier performance data and benefits tracking.