Procurement and the council

We want to make it as simple as possible for you to do business with the council.

The first step in supplying to us, and the wider Scottish public sector, is to register with Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) and Public Contracts Scotland Tender (PCS-T).

The council conducts all Tender activity electronically through Public Contracts Scotland – Tender (PCS-T) with lower value quotations being sought via PCS Quick Quote.

• PSC-Tender is used for publication of tender activity over £50,000, and may also be used for mini competitions or requirements below £50,000
• PCS Quick Quote may be used for requirements below £50,000 for goods and services, or up to £2 million for Works. It may also be used for mini competitions from existing Frameworks or Dynamic Purchasing Systems

We would advise all suppliers to register on both systems to allow them to gain access to any tender opportunities the council may have. if you are new to public sector tendering, you may find it helpful to contact the Supplier Development Programme for free help and advice. Events and training can be found on their website. 

Current tenders

A list of current tenders and future opportunities can be found on the council’s buyer profile on PCS. Our two year procurement plan of all tender opportunities above £50,000 is published in our annual procurement report.

The council does not maintain an approved list of suppliers. Our Contracts Register provides details of contracts awarded, and includes establishment of Frameworks, Procured Services Arrangements (PSA) and Dynamic Purchasing Systems (DPS) established by the council. 

All tender opportunities are available through Public Contracts Scotland. 

Most tender opportunities have set closing dates, and late bids will not be accepted. 

PSA’s and DPS have slightly different arrangements for timing of bid submission, and award of contracts – see below for further details

The council also accesses contracted suppliers through framework arrangements, including Scotland Excel who are responsible for many of the collaborative frameworks used by Scottish councils. Details on their frameworks and contract opportunities are available on their website. 

The Supplier Development Programme can provide support to local SMEs in bidding for public sector opportunities.

Procured Services Arrangements (PSA)

A Procured Services Arrangement (PSA) is a bespoke procedure which has been developed by the council specifically to procure services using the light touch rules under the Procurement Regulations, for Social and Other Specific Services (Schedule 3). 

It is similar to a flexible framework and is an umbrella arrangement which allows the appointment of multiple providers throughout its duration.

The council has a number of PSA’s which remain permanently open to new applicants. 

PSA’s have set closing dates to allow evaluation of bids received in ‘Phases’.  Once one Phase has closed, the next Phase will be open for submission of bids the next working day.

Unsuccessful applicants may reapply to a PSA at any time.

PSAs are only used for services, and contracts may be awarded through Direct Award or following a Mini Competition. Mini Competitions are evaluated using MEAT (Most Economically Advantageous Tender). Mini Competitions may be published through PCS or Public Contracts Scotland Tender.

Current PSA’s, and further details on how to apply for them, can be found by searching within “Search Notices” on Public Contracts Scotland:

Enter “South Lanarkshire Council” within the “Buyer Name” field. Within “Keywords”, search for the below PSAs –

• Care at Home and Housing Services SLC/SW/23/035
• Adult Supported Living SLC/PS/SW/18/001
• Educational Services SLC/PS/EDUC/19/028
• Early Learning and Childcare SLC/PS/EDUC/19/019

Further PSA’s may be established at a later date.

Dynamic Purchasing Systems (DPS)

A Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) is similar to a Framework or PSA, in that it allows the appointment of multiple applicants.

A DPS initially opens for a minimum period of 30 days for initial applicants. Once this closes, the DPS reopens and remains permanently open for the duration of the DPS.

Dynamic Purchasing Systems have no set closing dates beyond the initial invitation to tender, and therefore applicants may submit their response at any time. Unsuccessful applicants may reapply to a DPS at any time.

Direct Award is not possible within a DPS. All contracts for a DPS are awarded through Mini Competition and are evaluated using MEAT (Most Economically Advantageous Tender). Mini Competitions may be published through PCS or Public Contracts Scotland Tender.

Further details on how to apply for our Dynamic Purchasing Systems, can be found by searching within “Search Notices” on Public Contract Scotland.

Enter “South Lanarkshire Council” within the “Buyer Name” field. Within “Keywords”, search for the below DPS’s:

• Education Employability DPS – SLC/PS/EDUC/19/022
• Passenger Transport Services – SLC/ED/23/019

Further DPS’s may be established at a later date.