Transport Scotland’s Corporate Commitments

Transport Scotland’s Corporate Procurement Strategy in Context

Transport Scotland’s Corporate Procurement Strategy identifies the key policies and processes for undertaking its procurement activity. This Corporate Procurement Strategy sets out Transport Scotland’s corporate procurement aims and associated actions to support the achievement of Scottish Ministers’ ambition and vision for transport, as well as the strategic direction of Transport Scotland’s procurement activity for 2024-2025.

Following the decommissioning of the Public Procurement Priorities, the Scottish Government published the first Public Procurement Strategy for Scotland on 27 April 2023. While the previous Public Procurement Priorities provided a practical framework for procurement professionals to address challenges arise from COVID, Brexit and the resulting supply chain disruptions, the Public Procurement Strategy aims to align all public sector bodies with a common vision for sustainable procurement for the future. This marks a significant milestone, demonstrating the Scottish Government’s determination to foster collaboration and position Scotland as a global leader in sustainable procurement practices.

The document presents an overarching vision of positioning public procurement as the cornerstone of a sustainable economy to maximise value for the people of Scotland. It emphasises leveraging procurement to drive inclusive economic growth, promote fair work, and support the transition to a net-zero economy. The document outlines ambitious plans to use public spending power effectively to achieve these goals. It sets out how procurement enablers can be used to support the delivery of the following four key objectives through procurement activity:

  • good for businesses and their employees
  • good for places and communities
  • good for society
  • open and connected

These four key objectives and their enablers are reflected in this Transport Scotland Corporate Procurement Strategy. Our Strategy sets out the framework in which Transport Scotland will ensure that procurement delivers value for money and sustainability, whilst maintaining high professional standards and compliance with relevant legal requirements.

The Scottish Government has also updated its Sustainable Procurement Tools over the past year, as well as procuring a new Dynamic Purchasing System for supported businesses that was launched in September 2023. This assists public bodies to procure goods and services from businesses employing disabled or disadvantaged individuals and is an initiative that Transport Scotland intend to support in the coming year.

Transport Scotland’s Corporate Delivery Commitments

As an agency of the Scottish Government, Transport Scotland supports and advises the Government on the strategy and policy options for transport in Scotland. This enables the delivery of major transport projects and maintains the strategic infrastructure of Scotland. The agency is responsible for funding the development, operation and improvement of the motorway and trunk road, ferry, canal and railway networks in Scotland, Highlands and Islands and Prestwick airports, the provision of rail and ferry services, securing air routes for Scotland, the national concessionary travel schemes and the provision of network traffic and travel information services.

Transport is a key element of the overall strategy for infrastructure investment and is central to the Scottish Government’s ambitions for a low carbon economy. Transport Scotland seek to deliver a sustainable, inclusive, safe, and accessible transport system for the benefit of the people of Scotland.

The National Strategy for Economic Transformation that was published in March 2022 detailed the strategy for putting people and opportunities at the centre of Scotland’s economy as it develops over the next 10 years. The Corporate Plan 2021-24 supports this programme and sets out the commitments that Transport Scotland will deliver to support the Scottish Government’s Purpose. The National Transport Strategy (NTS2) presents the vision for Scotland’s transport system over the next 20 years, which is:

We will have a sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible transport system, helping deliver a healthier, fairer and more prosperous Scotland for communities, businesses and visitors."

Reduces inequalities

  • Will provide fair access to services we need
  • Will be easy to use for all
  • Will be affordable for all

Takes climate action

  • Will help deliver our net-zero target
  • Will adapt to the effects of climate change
  • Will promote greener, cleaner choices

Helps deliver economic growth

  • Will get people and goods where they need to get to
  • Will be reliable, efficient and high quality
  • Will use beneficial innovation

Improves our health and wellbeing

  • Will be safe and secure for all
  • Will enable us to make healthy travel choices
  • Will help make our communities great places to live

The NTS2 vision is underpinned by four priorities, each with three associated outcomes as shown above. The vision, priorities and outcomes will be the basis upon which decisions are taken and evaluate the success of Scotland’s transport policies going forward. Procurement activity will be key in delivering the vision. The National Transport Strategy Third Delivery Plan sets out the practical actions which will deliver the vision, providing a coordinated overview to the transport investments and projects.

A core part of the NTS2 delivery plan is the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2). The final reports on the STPR2 were published in December 2022 and will inform transport investment in Scotland over a 20-year period (2022-2042). These reports provide evidence-based recommendations on which the Scottish Ministers can base future transport investment decisions and cover all active travel methods. STPR2, in addition to tackling inequalities and promoting health and wellbeing, supports Scotland’s net zero targets by addressing how transport emissions can be reduced. 

Transport Scotland’s Procurement Spend

Transport Scotland undertakes a wide range of procurement activities to enable the agency to deliver its responsibilities. The spend on contracts represent a substantial proportion of Transport Scotland’s budget with most of the remainder being expended as grant funding and other forms of support to public and private sector organisations.

On average Transport Scotland has more than 250 contracts in place at any one time. These range from large-scale contracts, such as those associated with trunk road maintenance and provision of ferries services, through to smaller contracts including the purchase of goods and services needed to keep the staff and offices supported and operational.

In accordance with the requirements of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, Transport Scotland’s Contracts Register, which includes details of contracts entered into as a result of a regulated procurement, is published on the Public Contracts Scotland portal.

Stakeholder Engagement

Effective engagement with Transport Scotland’s stakeholders on procurement matters is essential to drive innovation, best practice, and collaboration. The following list, although not exhaustive, demonstrates the broad range of stakeholders that may be engaged in these discussions relating to procurements with Transport Scotland:

  • active travel groups
  • Association of Consulting Engineers
  • British Transport Police
  • Civil Engineering Contractors Association
  • community groups and individual landowners and residents
  • Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
  • cycling groups
  • Department for Transport
  • disabled people organisations
  • Federation of Small Businesses
  • Freight Haulage Association
  • National Highways
  • Highways Term Maintenance Association
  • Local Authorities and National Park Authorities
  • Mobility and Access Committee Scotland
  • Network Rail
  • Office of Rail and Road
  • public utility providers
  • public transport groups
  • Rail Delivery Group
  • Regional Transport Partnerships
  • Scottish Futures Trust
  • Scottish Government Directorates, including Scottish Government Legal Directorate and Scottish Procurement and Property Directorate
  • Scottish Ministers
  • Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland
  • Scottish Government Agencies including those acting as Statutory bodies or Regulators e.g. NatureScot and Historic Environment Scotland
  • suppliers
  • third sector
  • trade unions
  • Transport Focus
  • Transport for Wales
  • universities and other academic establishments

Transport Scotland advertise regulated procurement opportunities, as well as lower value procurements, through the Public Contracts Scotland Portal and those valued at over the UK procurement thresholds are also advertised through the UK Find a Tender service. Transport Scotland undertake early market engagement to identify areas of savings, added value, innovation and to ensure that tendering for Transport Scotland contracts remains an attractive opportunity. Transport Scotland also publish Contract Award Notices for regulated procurements, including frameworks and collaborative contracts, on the Public Contracts Scotland Portal.

Transport Scotland holds industry days when appropriate to promote interest in forthcoming contract opportunities and inform potential suppliers of the business opportunities that a contract may provide. Competitive Dialogue procedures are also utilised by Transport Scotland for works contracts to encourage innovative solutions and achieve best value for money.