Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Highlands and Islands Enterprise
An Lòchran, 10 Inverness Campus
Inverness
IV2 5NA
UK
Telephone: +44 1463245245
E-mail: hieprocurement@hient.co.uk
NUTS: UKM6
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://www.hie.co.uk
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00313
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local agency/office
I.5) Main activity
Economic and financial affairs
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Support for Communities Framework 2026-2030
Reference number: FTS055
II.1.2) Main CPV code
79400000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
The Framework is an alternative means of providing a range of practical hands-on support (not advice, which is available through HIE’s Specialist Advice Framework) to community organisations and social enterprises that lack the capacity or a particular skill-set to timeously progress an opportunity.
This is added value support and must complement the existing social enterprise support ecosystem and, therefore, must not duplicate services already available via other HIE Frameworks e.g. Board Healthcheck and Skills Training or other public sector/public sector supported organisations, e.g. Business Gateway, Just Enterprise, etc.
It is expected that these services will be required from November 2026 for an initial period of 3 years, with HIE having the option to extend for a period or periods together not exceeding 1 year following the Initial Term.
The 3 year budget currently available to deliver this service is between GBP 400,000 and GBP 450,000 (excluding VAT).
The total estimated value of the framework for the full framework duration including the extension is GBP 600,000, which is the value stated in this notice.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
600 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
79400000
66171000
72224000
79410000
79411000
79412000
79418000
90713000
71314300
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKM6
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The main Types of support across a range of sectors are as below:
- Organisation Development
- Project Development
- Impact Measurement
- Financial and Procurement
Cutting across all of these activities will are the themes of Fair Work, Net Zero and Sustainability. It should be noted that there may be specific project commissions with a clear focus on Net Zero, Fair Work and Sustainability activity.
See Appendix A - Scope of Requirements for full requirement details.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Prompt Payment Standard Clause
/ Weighting: Pass/Fail
Quality criterion: Cyber Security Response Form
/ Weighting: Pass/Fail
Quality criterion: Payment of the real Living Wage
/ Weighting: Pass/Fail
Quality criterion: Community Benefits
/ Weighting: Pass/Fail
Quality criterion: Management & Delivery Methodology
/ Weighting: 25%
Quality criterion: Management & Delivery Team - Core Individuals
/ Weighting: 25%
Quality criterion: Management & Delivery Team - Additional Resources
/ Weighting: 5%
Quality criterion: Fair Work Practices
/ Weighting: 5%
Price
/ Weighting:
40%
II.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT:
600 000.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 36
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals:
The Framework will be awarded for an initial period of 3 years with HIE having the option to extend for a period or periods together not exceeding 12 months following the Initial Term.
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:
Yes
Description of options:
HIE reserves the right, on giving reasonable written notice from time to time, to require changes to the Services under the Framework Agreement, including the removal of Services, the addition of new Services, increases or decreases to the Services, or changes to the order in which the Services are to be performed or the locations where the Services are to be provided. HIE shall not require any such change other than where it is permitted by Regulation 72 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. HIE may also modify its call-off contracts, where permitted by Regulation 72, and in accordance with the terms of the relevant call-off contract.
Such modifications may include, but are not limited to:
-Changes to budget availability.
-HIE bringing the services in-house (fully or partially) such that the services are no longer required or reduced services are required.
-Reduction or removal of services are required for example where services are no longer required due to changes in organisational strategy or priorities.
-Cancellation or pausing of a call-off contract due to changes in the project status.
-The addition of similar services, e.g. due to increased demand; where significant inconvenience and/or substantial duplication of costs to HIE can be avoided.
-Increases to the volume of the services required.
-Change in legislative requirements resulting in increased, reduced or amended services.
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
Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in Regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.
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
III.2.2) Contract performance conditions
Refer to Appendix A Scope of Requirements and Terms and Conditions
III.2.3) Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract
Obligation to indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff assigned to performing the contract
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
IV.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement with several operators.
Envisaged maximum number of participants to the framework agreement: 7
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2022/S 000-013507
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
10/09/2026
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:
09/11/2026
IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date:
10/09/2026
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:
HIE reserves the right to re-tender for these services upon termination of the contract or at the end of the contract period, including any extension period.
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
The estimated total value of the services over the 4 years is GBP 600,000 (excluding VAT). These figures are used in II.1.5 & II.2.6.
AWARD CRITERIA SCORING – Due to system restrictions in terms of characters permitted for this Section, full details of the scoring methodologies are contained within the Invitation to Tender, including the minimum quality threshold requirement.
In order to participate, bidders should register, for free, on the Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) website(www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk) and record their interest in this contract and download and complete all relevant documentation.
Submissions should be made using the PCS Postbox facility only. Email or hard copies will not be accepted. The submission must be received by the published deadline. Late tenders will not be accepted and HIE will reject any submissions received after the deadline.
PCS also gives suppliers access to an on-line Question & Answer facility which allows queries to be submitted (anonymously), and answers published and shared with all potential bidders.
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=837694.
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.
Community benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see: https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/community-benefits-in-procurement/
A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows:
Community Benefits will be evaluated as part of the tender process on a Pass/Fail basis. Please refer to the Invitation to Tender document, the Award Criteria Response Form and the Community Benefits Selection Menu spreadsheet for further details.
(SC Ref:837694)
Download the ESPD document here: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/ESPD/ESPD_Download.aspx?id=837694
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/the-courts/court-locations/inverness-sheriff-court-and-justice-of-the-peace-court
VI.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:
An economic operator that suffers, or is at risk of suffering, loss or damage attributable to a breach of duty under the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 or the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 , may bring proceedings in the Sheriff Court or the Court of Session.
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
06/08/2026