Changes to Public Procurement Rules

A number of changes to Public Procurement Rules take effect from 18 April 2016. These arise from the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 and the EU Procurement Directives.

Further information about the changes can be found in the Scottish Procurement Policy Note 1 / 2016 issued upon the implementation of the provisions of the Procurement Reform Scotland Act 2014:

 Scottish Procurement Policy Note 1/2016 [132kb]

Single Procurement Document (SPD)

The introduction of a Single Procurement Document (SPD) is intended to remove some of the barriers to participation in public procurement, especially for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). 

The SPD (Scotland) will replace the requirement for suppliers to provide up-front evidence or certificates by allowing them to self-declare that they meet the relevant selection and exclusion criteria.  Bidders will be asked to provide proof of this at a later stage.

Timing

From Monday 18 April 2016 all Scottish public bodies must issue and accept the ESPD for all procurements worth more than the EU thresholds. This will replace the standard pre-qualification questionnaire (sPQQ) and any local PQQs used by public bodies. 

Additional Information

Please see below link  to access qualification criteria associated with ESPD question 4D, including - Quality Management, Health and Safety and Environmental Management Procedures:

 ESPD Statements (Quality, Environmental, Health & Safety) [17kb]