How it works
The procurement route we use, and where we advertise our contract opportunities, is determined by the potential total value of the contract:
- If the value is less than £50,000 - the principals of adequate competition apply.
- If the value is greater than £50,000 for goods and services, or £2m for works but below the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) thresholds, we advertise on the Public Contracts Scotland website and here, on our own website.
- If the value is £189,330 or above (the OJEU threshold) for supplies and services or above £4,733,252 for works, we follow the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 and advertise in OJEU as well as the PCS.
Remember, you can register for free on the PCS website to get access to public authority contract opportunities across Scotland. You can also see a list of all of our current contracts in the Buyers Profile section.
Governing rules
The rules governing public procurement were amended in April 2016. The following apply to HIE:
- Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 – these are dictated to HIE from EU Directive 2014/24/EU
- Procurement Reform Scotland Act 2014 (PRSA14) – the Act provides ministers with powers to make regulations and issue statutory guidance. Ministers have introduced the ‘Procurement (Scotland) Regulations 2016’ and ‘Statutory Guidance’ on how some of the key elements of the Act should be implemented by HIE.
Helping you bid better
If you're a Scottish SME or third sector organisation interested in working with the public sector, the Supplier Development Programme can help you. Have a look at the website to find out how to bid for public contracts, training opportunities, support and information.
The Scottish public sector spends more than £11 billion a year buying goods, services and works.
To make sure that this significant investment is spent in a way that can deliver best value, the Scottish Government offer collaborative contracts and frameworks agreements that can be used by public sector organisations in Scotland.
Find out more about public sector procurement on the Scottish Government’s website.
Framework agreements
We can engage with suppliers appointed to any of the framework agreements by the Scottish Government, as well as those on the Crown Commercial Services which are open to the whole of the UK public sector.
Suppliers can bid to be part of a framework as well as apply to be a subcontractor.
Framework opportunities are advertised on various websites including PCS, Business Link, the national lower value contract opportunity portal, and OJEU.
Keep in the know
Register for free with PCS to get notification of contract opportunities of interest to you. Notifications cover both low and high value contracts, including those advertised in the European Journal. Keep an eye on the Crown Commercial Services and Scottish Procurement websites for additional opportunities too.