With a spend of £11 billion every year, the Scottish public sector is one of the biggest buyers of products and services in the country. Scottish businesses of all shapes, structures and sizes are encouraged to apply for a slice of the public sector pie through the formal procurement process.

Because of the huge sums involved, the procurement system has been designed to provide the best possible value for money for the public sector, and as such, the process operates within rigorous and robust rules, and must be open and transparent. Buyers must also make sure that small businesses have a fair chance to win tenders, and contractual arrangements mean that they must also pay suppliers of goods and services promptly.

The public procurement system is complex, requiring a great deal of information from organisations who want to register and apply for tenders, and the process can seem daunting to those new to tendering. However, the public sector offers social enterprises an opportunity to bid for contracts which have a strong community and social benefit requirement, or which offer a chance to diversify your existing business.

Just Enterprise specialist advisors will help you get to grips with the public procurement system by demystifying the jargon and guiding your organisation through the process of registration and applying for tenders. If you are a procurement novice you can join one of our group workshops, or if you are considering applying for a tender you can take advantage of our 1-to-1 expert support sessions.

One-to-one support

Ideal if you have a ‘live’ or imminent tender opportunity, whether as an individual organisations or consortium.

Apply for one-to-one support