The Procurement Reform Bill issued for consultation on 10 August. It proposes new laws designed to improve the way the public sector buys goods, works and services. The Bill will establish a national framework for sustainable public procurement which supports Scotland’s economic growth.
It will do this by ensuring that public procurement delivers economic, social and environmental benefits; supports innovation; and promotes public procurement processes and systems which are transparent, streamlined, standardised, proportionate, fair and business-friendly. These changes will ensure public contracts do more to boost jobs, apprenticeships and the Scottish economy.
The Bill will also explore substantially expanding the use of community-benefit clauses in higher value contracts, helping to promote training, apprenticeships and opportunities for the disabled and long-term unemployed. Helping to ensure that procurement spending creates training and employment opportunities, especially for younger people.