Over the last decade, a lot has changed in public sector procurement in Scotland. We’ve seen the implementation of new regulations and the procurement reform act, there's been a shift in focus to set the standard for employee rights and create a better future for community development, alongside a step change in requirements imposed on the public sector.
It’s been a decade of significant change, ambition and resilience with many challenges and headwinds continuing to disrupt momentum and progress across the sector.
For the last 10 years, the Scottish Procurement Alliance have been on that journey, working alongside public sector partners to carve a path that delivers an unrivalled localised and community focused approach for public sector procurement in Scotland.
As the procurement landscape has evolved, presenting more challenges for organisations, so too has SPA. Shifting from solely developing frameworks to adopting an advisory and supportive role. We are now involved in organising mini competitions, awarding contracts and preparing notices, conducting price verifications and assessing technical specifications, alongside identifying community benefits within contracts.
We’ve been doing this for five years now and have expanded our team since, creating new roles encouraged by the demand and growth we are seeing in end-to-end solutions that relieve the pressure and the burden from our public sector partners, helping them make informed and compliant decisions that are effective and efficient while also providing the resources to adapt to organisational needs.
Our influence on public sector procurement has created a plethora of opportunities and a platform for small businesses to compete fairly and equally against larger firms, but also allow them to grow, employ more skilled workers and expand their services. It is this focus on local capacity that has empowered our partners to adapt to community wealth building measures and keep Scottish spending where it is generated.
By championing sustainable local development and fostering partnerships, SPA has transitioned from a new entrant to a pillar in Scottish procurement, directing investment back into the local economy to foster community resilience and achieve ambitions.
From the inception of our first DPS in 2021 to the rollout of our flagship Retrofit and Decarbonisation (N9) framework, we have consistently adapted to tackle Scotland’s most pressing challenges from the climate emergency and RAAC to the housing crisis and regulatory compliance.
Our commitment to procurement excellence is backed by:
- Gold Standard Accreditation; a testament to our integrity as a trusted framework provider.
- £2.6 Billion in Projects procured as of March 2026
- Added Value Services: Bespoke technical support, regional advisory, and our streamlined Call-Off Service at no additional cost to our partners.
SPA’s ongoing collaboration with the public sector informs our regionalised approach. Through strategic alliances with the SFHA, the Supplier Development Programme, and CIOB, we develop high-quality procurement options accessible to organisations of all sizes.
Additionally, our partnerships with Lintel Trust and SURF allow us to pinpoint and celebrate the local initiatives that maximise the impact of public funds. This direct connection to community needs ensures we are uniquely positioned to help our partners optimise every pound of public investment.
From the beginning, we have woven social value into the fabric of our identity, leveraging our not-for-profit status to launch the SPA Community Benefit Fund following our first year in 2017. With the support of our charity partner Lintel Trust, we provide vital grants to SPA partners to create stronger, sustainable communities. This year, the CBF will accelerate inclusive ownership by directing the awards to the initiatives revitalising their local areas.
In 2025, our Community Benefit Fund hit a landmark investment of £1.3 million in direct grants, combined with our rebate, has distributed close to £6 million in support of a diverse range of community initiatives.
Our 2024 Social Value Strategy transformed our commitment into a measurable reality, embedding three core impact areas into every framework we have developed since. The result supports a consistent cycle of community wealth, delivering everything from team led volunteering to high value, sustainable jobs for local people.
Looking forward, we will continue to build our regional presence and bring solutions for progress to the Scottish public sector. By reinvesting in local expertise and tackling Scotland's most pressing social challenges, we are transforming public investment into a driver for stronger communities. We look forward to another decade of delivering a fairer, more sustainable Scotland where every project leaves a lasting legacy.
West Granton Housing Co-op is a small registered social landlord & as such, we have no specialist in-house procurement expertise. We are, however, still required to be fully compliant with our procurement practices, so we actively choose to work with SPA because they make the procurement journey both easy and accessible for us. As with any large capital project, we seek to achieve value for money and SPA help us explore the various routes open to us, clearly explaining the benefits of each to allow us to make an informed decision. SPA staff are responsive, friendly, and professional and they also offer up the use of their amazing office facilities to us as a member. Their service also includes attending the pre-start meetings and any subsequent meetings at our request which we have found useful should any performance issues arise with the contract. All of this gives us the confidence and assurance that we are doing what we should be doing, whilst still providing value for money for our tenants.
We are incredibly grateful for the continued support from the SPA Community Benefit Fund, which has enabled us to deliver meaningful services that are transforming the lives of our tenants and Berwickshire residents. The encouragement and support from SPA has been crucial in giving us the space and funds to pilot initiatives that are improving community engagement and connection by having the interest of our tenants at the heart. By facilitating meaningful connections and social excursions, the impact on our residents' confidence and mental wellbeing has been life changing. To add to this, our partnership with SPA began in 2020 over the course of this duration £60,000 has been channelled into our BeWell programme, enabling us to deliver specialist mental health support that reduces tenancy breakdowns and ensures our community remains resilient and inclusive.
It’s inspiring to see SPA’s continued leadership in driving innovation, sustainability, and social value across Scotland’s public sector. At Hanover, we are proud of our ongoing collaboration with SPA and the tangible benefits it continues to deliver for our organisation, our residents, and the communities we serve. The frameworks and support provided by SPA have played a pivotal role in helping us achieve greater efficiency, value for money, and positive social impact through our procurement activities. Your commitment to creating opportunities, strengthening local supply chains, and advancing sustainable solutions truly resonates with Hanover’s mission and values. We look forward to building on this strong partnership and continuing to work together towards shared goals that make a real difference across Scotland.
I wanted to take a moment to provide some feedback in relation to our Client Support Officer, Reiss Stewart. He is a complete asset to SPA and has been so helpful in allowing me to undertake my role and deliver a really hectic workload with much more ease, always presenting a reasonable option and alternatives. He is efficient, friendly, and is always available when we need him to be and has a really clear understanding of what is important to me and my team when we are seeking the most optimum framework, providing us with all the information needed while not being pushy – presenting the facts and also support in terms of pricing and quality.