News

Supplier Development Programme and GO Awards

The Supplier Development Programme has been shortlisted as a Finalist in four categories at this year’s GO Awards Scotland, which will be presented at the Crowne Plaza in Glasgow at the GO Awards Scotland Ceremony on 27 October 2022. The GO Awards celebrate the very best procurement achievements from across the UK’s public, private and third sector organisations.

Along with our partners at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Robertson FM, the Supplier Development Programme has been announced as a Finalist for the Contract and Supplier Management Award.

Additionally, alongside our partners at Stirling Council, Scotland Excel, Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Small Businesses, STEP, the Supplier Development Programme has been announced as a Finalist for the Collaborative Procurement Initiative Award.

Finally, the Supplier Development Programme has been announced as a Finalist for both the Digital Service Delivery Award and the Procurement Team of the Year Award.

Gillian Cameron, SDP Programme Manager, said:

"The Supplier Development Programme offers heartfelt congratulations to all Finalists of this year's GO Awards Scotland.

"Led by Scotland's 32 local authorities, the entire SDP Team works diligently and passionately to translate the data on Scotland's advertising portal into relevant, clear, and open business opportunities that small, local, Scottish businesses feel empowered to bid for, and win.

"SDP is proud to be recognised as a Finalist in four of 10 categories at this year's GO Awards, which rightly recognises every organisation's many admirable activities across Scotland that are central to the Power of Procurement."

Award Categories Background

The Contract and Supplier Management Award recognises organisations that are demonstrating best practice in the way in which they manage their contracts. Organisations that can build trust and positive engagement are more likely to discover new and better ways of working, with improvements and innovations freely offered rather than extracted.

The Collaborative Procurement Initiative Award recognises organisations that embrace collaboration and the sharing of ideas, information and insights to move faster and more effectively to achieve their goals. Collaboration can happen at different stages within a procurement process or be core to how an organisation functions – in either case, this category recognises evidenced gains that have been achieved through a joined-up approach, whether they be financial or a positive impact in other areas such as social or environmental benefit.

The Digital Delivery Award showcases organisations that are driving significant benefit through their approach. It’s not just about the tech, but also about service design, accessibility and real-world benefit. The category is open to all sizes of public sector organisation, with a focus on innovation, effectiveness and evidence-based outcomes. Whether it’s a national, multimillion-pound project or a local initiative, evidence of how embracing a digital-first approach has transformed service delivery is what counts.

The Procurement Team of the Year Award recognises leadership, communication, innovation, collaboration, personal development and a collective team ethic and approach to deliver excellence in public services. Recognition is given based on the accomplishments of the team in relation to its size and the complexity of its procurement activities. Evidence of gains made through a team approach should be provided to substantiate the entry.

A full list of Finalists can be viewed on the GO Awards website.