Commercial and Procurement services supplier newsletters

October 2024 newsletter

Welcome to the October edition of our Supplier Newsletter.

In this issue, we invite local SMEs and third sector organisations to our upcoming Supplier Engagement Event on 14 November to help our suppliers to become “tender ready”. With networking opportunities, procurement information sessions, and key contact referrals, this event has something for everyone, and we very much hope to see you there.

We’d like to draw your attention to interim changes in reporting of Community Benefits and encourage you to share with us good news stories of benefits delivered.

In light of the recent Scotland’s Climate Week, we also share some free support and resources available to businesses to help tackle climate change and support their participation in the transition to a net zero carbon economy.

You can read about our monthly supplier drop-in sessions, and as always, we’ve included a list of upcoming tender opportunities and encourage you to register for alerts on the Public Contract Scotland website.

We look forward to working with you.

Lynette Robertson

Head of Commercial and Procurement Services

The City of Edinburgh Council: Supplier Engagement Event

The City of Edinburgh Council, in partnership with The Supplier Development Programme (SDP), are inviting local Small to Medium size Enterprises (SMEs) and third sector organisations to the Supplier Engagement Event, on 14 November 2024, 9.00am to 11.30am at Waverley Court in Edinburgh.

This event aims to help local micro, small and supported businesses, as well as third sector organisations, become ‘tender ready’ by providing an opportunity to meet representatives from the Council, as well as several business support organisations.

During the morning, experts will help to demystify public procurement and provide suppliers, who have little or no experience in bidding for public sector contracts, with an opportunity to learn the routes to market and business support available to them.

Exhibitors are to include

  • The City of Edinburgh Council – Community Wealth Building, Community Benefits and Innovation Teams
  • The City of Edinburgh Council Procurement Delivery Team
  • The Supplier Development Programme
  • Business Gateway
  • Capital City Partnership and Edinburgh Southeast City Region Deal (ESEC)
  • Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce

Keynote Sessions are set to include

  • Supplier Development Programme: Top Tips for Tendering
  • City of Edinburgh Council: How we Buy and What Influences our Approach

All suppliers are eligible to attend for free. However, spaces are limited, and you must register an account with SDP to book a place.

Join the conversation: #CECSupplierEngagementEvent

Delivery of Community Benefit commitments

Suppliers are requested to please provide regular progress updates on the delivery of Community Benefits directly to your Contract Manager in line with the agreed terms of the contract. Updates should include supporting evidence of benefits delivered. This is a move away from the use of the Cenefits system which is no longer in use by the Council.

Should you wish to promote any good news stories/photos/testimonials etc of benefits delivered and the positive impact they’ve achieved for our communities, please forward these  to supplierdevelopment@edinburgh.gov.uk. For any queries, please contact your Contract Manager for assistance in the first instance.

Scotland’s Climate Week

Every year since 2016, communities and organisations from all across Scotland have come together for Scotland's Climate Week. This year, it’s a chance to celebrate and encourage climate action, and to learn more about tackling climate change by sharing ‘Stories for Change’. Find support and advice for making changes that could be the start of an incredible business story for change at Net Zero Scotland.

The Net Zero Edinburgh project, managed and delivered by the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, aims to support Edinburgh’s SMEs participate in the transition to a net zero carbon economy and support innovative decarbonisation projects in the city. Supported by the City of Edinburgh Council and funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the Net Zero Edinburgh project will run until the end of March 2025.

SMEs taking part in the project can enjoy a range of free support depending on what stage they are at on their net zero journey. Free support includes:

  • Support to calculate your carbon footprint, Scopes 1 and 2
  • 2 hours of free consultancy
  • Access to toolkits and resources
  • Informative events

If you would like to find out more about the project and the support available, please get in touch with the team on netzeroedinburgh@edinburghchamber.co.uk.

Logo - funded by the UK Government

Ongoing supplier engagement

Did you know that our Commercial and Procurement Services team runs monthly virtual 1-2-1 engagement sessions? These are an excellent opportunity to ask any burning questions you may have if you’re interested in working in, or becoming part of, the supply chain that delivers goods, services or works to the Council. If you’d like to meet, please email procurement.delivery@edinburgh.gov.uk.

Tender opportunities

You can find details of contract opportunities with the Council on the Public Contract Scotland website. You will also find future opportunities for noting interest and engaging in the development where appropriate, we expect these will include the following.

Current opportunities

Future opportunities

  • Construction Professional Services Framework, estimated publishing date October 2024
  • City Car Club, estimated publishing date October 2024
  • Letter Distribution, estimated publishing date October 2024
  • Various Multi-trade works Frameworks, estimated publishing date November 2024
  • Fleet Asset Disposal, estimated publishing date January 2025

Useful resources