On 21 January 2016, the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (Commencement No.3 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2016 was laid before the Scottish Parliament.
This was closely followed on 28 January by two new sets of Scottish Procurement regulations, the Utilities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016, which replace the Utitlities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2012, and the Public Contracts (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2016. All three will come into force on 18 April 2016.
The latest pieces of legislation are part of a suite of changes to procurement in Scotland, both implementing EU Directives and bringing into force national legislation, most of which (with the exception of some remaining provisions due for June 2016) will come into force on 18 April. There will be a short period for contractors and contracting authorities to become accustomed with the new process.
We have recently run breakfast seminars to brief clients on the changes to procurement reform and have undertaken a series of bespoke sessions. Please contact us to discuss how the changes impact on you or if your organisation is interested in training.