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Scottish Enterprise

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Scottish Enterprise is Scotland’s national economic development agency and a non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. To deliver a significant, lasting effect on the Scottish economy, Scottish Enterprise works effectively with partners in the public and private sectors to identify and exploit the best opportunities.

Scottish Enterprise supports ambitious Scottish companies to compete within the global marketplace and help build Scotland’s globally competitive sectors. It also works with a range of partners in the public and private sectors to attract new investment to Scotland and to help create a world-class business environment.

Further information can be found at https://www.scottish-enterprise.com/.

Scottish Enterprise’s Procurement Practices

Working with SMEs, local businesses, supported businesses and the third sector

SMEs play a vital role in Scotland’s economy, providing significant employment opportunities and providing innovative solutions to Scottish Enterprise’s requirements. From 2007/08 onwards, Scottish Enterprise had an annual procurement spend with SMEs in excess of 50%; in 2017/18, its spend with SMEs was 58%. Scottish Enterprise will continue to adopt contracting strategies to ensure that SMEs have fair and equal access to tender opportunities, and to encourage new suppliers to work with it.

Scottish Enterprise follows the code of conduct laid out in the Scottish Government’s Suppliers Charter, which aims to facilitate access to public sector procurement opportunities. Also, as noted above, we will continue to participate in Meet the Buyer events aimed at providing advice and guidance to businesses wishing to work with us.

Scottish Enterprise will continue to review and update its procurement policies and procedures to ensure that it contributes to improving social, economic and environmental well-being where relevant in delivering its contracts. It will encourage a diverse range of suppliers including SMEs, the third sector and supported businesses to tender for our contracts through Scottish Enterprise’s approach.

In order to actively encourage the involvement of SMEs within its supply chain, where appropriate, Scottish Enterprise will split larger contracts into lots to make opportunities more accessible to smaller suppliers. In addition, its terms and conditions have been simplified to share risks with Scottish Enterprise’s suppliers in a more equitable manner, as well as being easier to understand.

Scottish Enterprise will continue to identify and reserve appropriate contracts for supported businesses and utilise the Scottish Government’s Framework for Supported Businesses. SE regularly attends the supported businesses engagement events that take place and in 2017/18, SE awarded contracts totalling £156,299 to supported businesses.

To ensure fairness, best practice and value for money in our procurement processes we follow the Scottish Government’s Suppliers Charter code of conduct.

Information for Suppliers

Tendering procedures depend on the value and the nature of what’s being purchased – public sector contracts above £50,000 advertised on Public Contracts Scotland website.

Procurement forward plan

Scottish Enterprise publishes its planned procurement activity in the Scottish Enterprise Procurement Forward Plan for procurements over £50,000, excluding VAT.

Terms and conditions

Scottish Enterprise has standard terms and conditions for contracts with its suppliers. They are defined in the documents you can download from this page. Its terms and conditions have recently been reviewed and Scottish Enterprise now shares risk in a more equal manner with its suppliers.

Purchasing goods and services under £50,000 (Word, 49.9kB)

Health and safety

Scottish Enterprise’s health and safety policy ensures it follows the correct procedures to ensure the health and safety and well-being of all its employees at work and others who it works alongside.

Health and safety policy (PDF, 624 kB)

Information security

The information security policy outlines the objectives, motivations and direction for Scottish Enterprise to protect its business information, systems and networks.

Information security policy (PDF, 172 kB)

Information classification and handling

Information classification policy is used to ensure that information assets receive an appropriate level of protection.

Information and classification policy (PDF, 383 kB)

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