Introduction

Section 18 of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 stipulates that a contracting authority must publish a Procurement Strategy and subsequently produce an Annual Procurement Report. The Annual Procurement Report details the contracting authority’s delivery of regulated procurement activities against its Procurement Strategy and it should be published as soon as is reasonably practicable after the end of their financial year.

This Annual Procurement Report covers all regulated procurements completed during the period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 and provides details of how those procurements supported the seven procurement priorities included in Transport Scotland’s Corporate Procurement Strategy 2023-2024. These priorities support Transport Scotland’s aim of delivering a sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible transport system through procurement activity.

Transport Scotland operates a devolved model of procurement, with procurement activity being carried out by staff with appropriate skills and expertise who are members of specific project teams, overseen by a Delegated Purchasing Authority (DPA) holder. The central Procurement Team provides support and advice to project teams as required.

The Chief Executive is the accountable officer who is responsible for the propriety of procurement activity and ensuring value for money in the agency. The Chief Executive has appointed the Director of Purchasing to hold purchasing authority for all procurement relating to the management and operation of Transport Scotland. The Director of Purchasing has the authority to sub-delegate purchasing authority to members of staff within Transport Scotland as considered appropriate and is supported by the Depute Director of Purchasing in this role.

The Director of Purchasing meets bi-annually with the Director of Procurement and Property, Nick Ford, from the Scottish Government’s Scottish Procurement and Property Directorate to review and discuss procurement-related matters. Transport Scotland’s Procurement Team provides a central role in the Agency’s procurement activity through the support and advice they offer to those officials undertaking their procurements.