Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Scottish Natural Heritage
Great Glen House, Leachkin Road
Inverness
IV3 8NW
UK
Telephone: +44 1463725097
E-mail: flexibleprocurement@scotland-excel.org.uk
NUTS: UKM62
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://www.nature.scot
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00383
I.2) Joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
http://publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
http://publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
National or federal agency/office
I.5) Main activity
Environment
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Website Service and Maintenance
Reference number: PP1446
II.1.2) Main CPV code
72413000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
NatureScot is looking to tender a contract with an external service provider for the provision of Website Service and Maintenance.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
72415000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKM
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Website Service & Maintenance Contract requires a supplier capable of delivering a secure, well‑governed, and future‑ready digital service for NatureScot’s Drupal‑based website. The contractor must support an existing website hosted on the Acquia Cloud Professional environment, comprising multiple development and deployment stages, a Drupal 10 content management system, and a multi‑domain architecture with separate budget management responsibilities. The platform features complex content structures, audience segmentation, bespoke layouts, media management, workflows, content retention management, language translation and integrated tools such as Cloudflare, Acquia Web Governance, GitHub, Google Tools suite (Analytics, Tag manager etc.), New Relic, and third‑party penetration testing services.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Quality
/ Weighting: 70
Price
/ Weighting:
30
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 48
This contract is subject to renewal: No
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
II.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted:
No
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
No
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
II.2.14) Additional information
Scotland Excel (SXL) will be acting on behalf of NatureScot in the execution of this procurement exercise but will not be party to the contract or the management of the contract throughout its lifetime.
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.2) Economic and financial standing
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
III.1.3) Technical and professional ability
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
III.2) Conditions related to the contract
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
21/05/2026
Local time: 12:00
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
EN
IV.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
Tender must be valid until:
21/09/2026
IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date:
21/05/2026
Local time: 12:00
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
Yes
Estimated timing for further notices to be published:
A further procurement exercise may be undertaken prior to expiry of this Contract.
VI.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic ordering will be used
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
VI.3) Additional information
NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Public Contracts Scotland Web Site at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=829767.
The buyer has indicated that it will accept electronic responses to this notice via the Postbox facility. A user guide is available at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/sitehelp/help_guides.aspx.
Suppliers are advised to allow adequate time for uploading documents and to dispatch the electronic response well in advance of the closing time to avoid any last minute problems.
A sub-contract clause has been included in this contract. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2363
(SC Ref:829767)
Download the ESPD document here: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/ESPD/ESPD_Download.aspx?id=829767
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Inverness Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace Court
The Inverness Justice Centre, Longman Road
Inverness
IV1 1AH
UK
Telephone: +44 1463230782
E-mail: inverness@scotcourts.gov.uk
Internet address(es)
URL: https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
21/04/2026