SCOTTISH Borders Council and the Supplier Development Programme (SDP) have been announced as a winner in the Government Opportunities (GO) Excellence in Public Procurement Awards Scotland 2020.
The partners were one of three finalists in the ‘Best Procurement Delivery’ category and announced as the outright winner at a virtual ceremony on Friday, 6 November 2020, which was hosted by TV presenter, Sarah Heaney, with an official welcome from Nick Ford, director of Procurement and Property, Scottish Government.
Councillor Mark Rowley, executive member for Economic Regeneration and Finance, said: “I am delighted to see the council win this award. This is recognition of the excellent partnership we have with the Supplier Development Programme and the work our procurement team and others have undertaken together to help local businesses engage in our tender processes.
“We always aim to support local businesses wherever we can and this award recognises a holistic procurement process which epitomised that and is a great example of community wealth-building here in the Borders.”
Scottish Borders Council procured a multi-trade, framework for a reactive repairs and maintenance service to a wide ranging property estate of over 800 buildings throughout the region, with an estimated £4.7million annual budget for repairs and maintenance.
The council partnered with the Supplier Development Programme to promote the tender opportunity to local businesses, and align and deliver free tender training.
During the online ceremony, the GO Awards judging panel said that Scottish Borders Council and the Supplier Development Programme were chosen to win because the procurement aligned with a community wealth=building approach.
One judge described it as a very good example of breaking down a complex procurement to deliver social and economic benefits to a wider supply base, while another commented that it was a great demonstration of a ‘local first’ policy with effective stakeholder and supplier engagement and tailored training solutions.
Gillian Cameron, SDP programme manager, said: “It is really wonderful that the award recognises that the real beneficiaries of this sustainable procurement approach is the local community, and that the Supplier Development Programme assisted Scottish Borders Council to make the crucial connection with local micro, small and medium sized businesses.
“100 per cent of the local SMEs that attended SDP training and bridged the gap to bid through Public Contracts Scotland won a place on the framework, which ultimately contributes to social engagement, economic growth and community wealth building in the Scottish Borders.”
ENDS
Notes for editors:
- SDP is a publicly-funded partnership led by local authorities, working in conjunction with Scottish Government and other public bodies, to bring Scottish SMEs support in all aspects of tendering. By assisting businesses to become tender ready for public procurement, SDP improves all-round efficiency, sustainability and market potential.
- In Scotland, there is an annual public spend of £11billion. In the UK, there is an annual public spend of £240billion. SDP Scotland offers free training throughout Scotland to Scottish SMEs to support and champion them tendering for this work.
- Visit sdpscotland.co.uk for more information.
MEDIA RELEASE issued by SDP. You too can share your stories (aka press or media releases), on this site. Email here for more information.
Check out twitter.com/scotsbulletin for your very own media releases feed…
Stay connected with our various twitter feeds: Charities, Drink, Education, Energy, Fashion, Film, Food, Gardens, Legal, Motors, Music, Outdoors, Property, Science and Sports. And not forgetting Finance, Theatre, Travel, Festivals, Visual Arts, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Perth and Stirling.
SDP contact details…
Contact: Jennifer Payne
Phone: 07584174531
Email: jennifer.payne@southlanarkshire.gov.uk
Website: http://www.sdpscotland.co.uk
