Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Scottish Government
5 Atlantic Quay, 150 Broomielaw
Glasgow
G2 8LU
UK
Contact person: Sarah Galloway
E-mail: Sarah.Galloway2@gov.scot
NUTS: UKM
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://www.scotland.gov.uk
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA10482
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:
https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
National or federal agency/office
I.5) Main activity
General public services
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Scottish Government Centres of Expertise x 4 Lots
Reference number: CASE/866909
II.1.2) Main CPV code
73000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
The Scottish Government has a requirement to place 4 separate, lotted contracts with external service providers for the following services: -
Lot 1. Centre of Expertise on Climate Change
Lot 2. Centre of Expertise on Animal Disease Outbreaks
Lot 3. Centre of Expertise on Nature, Water and Environment
Lot 4. Centre of Expertise on Plant Health
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
37 229 386.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
Yes
Tenders may be submitted for maximum 4 lots
II.2) Description
Lot No: 1
II.2.1) Title
Centre of Expertise on Climate Change
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
73000000
73100000
73110000
73120000
73200000
73210000
73111000
90700000
90710000
90711500
90712000
90714100
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UK
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Scottish Government Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) Division is commissioning a Centre of Expertise on Climate Change. This is required to support Scotland’s climate mitigation and adaptation goals by providing accessible, timely and high quality interdisciplinary evidence. This will be delivered through both rapid outputs and longer term research projects, commissioned and completed within timescales proportionate to policy need. The Centre will enhance the impact of Scottish funded science and translate wider UK and international research into a Scottish context, ensuring that robust external evidence is effectively applied to meeting Scotland’s climate mitigation and adaptation ambitions. This includes:
- Developing and managing a rolling, policy driven programme of evidence, balancing mitigation, adaptation and just transition needs, and delivering both rapid evidence outputs and longer term research within timescales proportionate to policy need.
- Providing integrated, systems level analysis across sectors such as climate, environment, energy, land use, agriculture and socio economics, recognising the cross cutting nature of climate issues.
- Translating UK and international research into a Scottish context, and ensuring clear, policy ready communication and effective knowledge exchange to maximise impact and uptake of evidence.
- Horizon scanning to identify emerging climate risks, opportunities and priority evidence needs across mitigation and adaptation.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Understanding the Requirement
/ Weighting: 10
Quality criterion: Programme Design and Methods
/ Weighting: 20
Quality criterion: Staff, Skills and Task Allocation
/ Weighting: 20
Quality criterion: Project Management, Risk Assessment and Ethics
/ Weighting: 20
Quality criterion: Data Management
/ Weighting: 10
Quality criterion: Climate Emergency
/ Weighting: 5
Quality criterion: Community Benefits
/ Weighting: 5
Quality criterion: Fair Work First
/ Weighting: 5
Quality criterion: Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR)
/ Weighting: 5
Price
/ Weighting:
20
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:
Optional 2 year extension at Scottish Government discretion.
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
Price Quality Ratio = Quality 80%: Price 20%
Total Value of Lot 1 across 3 + 2 year duration: 15610850 GBP
Lot No: 2
II.2.1) Title
Centre of Expertise on Animal Disease Outbreaks
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
73000000
73100000
73110000
73111000
73120000
73200000
73210000
73220000
03320000
80490000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UK
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Scottish Government Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) Division is recommissioning a Centre of Expertise on Animal Disease Outbreaks. RESAS supports a small number of Centres of Expertise in key areas which brigade the best available expertise from a consortium of partners into virtual centres; to simplify access by policy officials to expertise from across Scotland, to enhance synergy of effort and to stimulate innovative thinking in support of policy.
The suppliers of the Centre will have the following aims:
- To deliver high-quality research-based evidence and advice on the prevention and control of animal disease outbreaks to the Scottish Government.
- To provide expert scientific advice to the Scottish Government at short notice in the event of an outbreak of notifiable, zoonotic or newly emerging animal disease in the UK.
- To stimulate innovative thinking in support of animal health policy development and delivery.
- To further enhance the coordination of research, analysis and interpretation across the subject area, leading to high quality, world leading interdisciplinary research and the production of policy-relevant outputs.
- To develop a programme of knowledge exchange to ensure the effective underpinning of policy and the wider dissemination of best practice amongst stakeholders.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Understanding the Requirement
/ Weighting: 10
Quality criterion: Programme Design and Methods
/ Weighting: 20
Quality criterion: Staff, Skills and Task Allocation
/ Weighting: 20
Quality criterion: Project Management, Risk Assessment and Ethics
/ Weighting: 20
Quality criterion: Data Management
/ Weighting: 10
Quality criterion: Climate Emergency
/ Weighting: 5
Quality criterion: Community Benefits
/ Weighting: 5
Quality criterion: Fair Work First
/ Weighting: 5
Quality criterion: Business Continuity and Disaaster Recovery (BCDR)
/ Weighting: 5
Price
/ Weighting:
20
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:
Optional 2 year extension at Scottish Government discretion.
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
Price Quality Ratio = Quality 80%: Price 20%
Total Value of Lot 2 across 3 + 2 year duration: 11002016 GBP
Lot No: 3
II.2.1) Title
Centre of Expertise on Nature, Environment and Water
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
73000000
73100000
73110000
73111000
73112000
73120000
73200000
73210000
73220000
90733000
90713100
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UK
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Scottish Government Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division (RESAS) is commissioning a new Centre of Expertise on Nature, Environment and Water. The objective is to brigade the best available expertise on nature restoration, environmental quality and protection and the management of water from across Scotland and the wider UK into a virtual centre, to simplify access to scientific advice and evidence by policy colleagues and their delivery partners, and to enhance synergy of effort and stimulate innovative thinking in support of these areas.
The Centre’s purpose is to:
- Deliver timely and high-quality advice and research-based evidence on nature restoration, environmental quality and protection and the management of water to the Scottish Government and its delivery partners.
- Stimulate innovative thinking in support of policy development and implementation in the research area.
- Enhance the coordination of research, analysis and interpretation across the subject areas, leading to high quality research and policy-relevant outputs.
- Deliver an effective programme of knowledge exchange and communication with Scottish Government and its stakeholders.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Understanding the Requirement
/ Weighting: 10
Quality criterion: Programme Design and Methods
/ Weighting: 20
Quality criterion: Staff, Skills and Task Allocation
/ Weighting: 20
Quality criterion: Project Management, Risk Assessment and Ethics
/ Weighting: 20
Quality criterion: Data Management
/ Weighting: 10
Quality criterion: Climate Emergency
/ Weighting: 5
Quality criterion: Community Benefits
/ Weighting: 5
Quality criterion: Fair Work First
/ Weighting: 5
Quality criterion: Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR)
/ Weighting: 5
Price
/ Weighting:
20
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:
Optional 2 year extension at Scottish Government discretion.
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
Price Quality Ratio = Quality 80%: Price 20%
Total Value of Lot 3 across 3 + 2 year duration: 7048120 GBP
Lot No: 4
II.2.1) Title
Centre of Expertise on Plant Health
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
73000000
73100000
73110000
73120000
73200000
73210000
90700000
90710000
90711500
90712000
03117000
03441000
03121100
03117200
03117140
03117130
03000000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UK
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Scottish Government Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) Division is recommissioning a Centre of Expertise on Plant Health. This is required to bring the best available plant health expertise relevant to Scotland’s crops, horticulture, forestry, and natural environment into a virtual centre, to coordinate access, by policy colleagues and the Chief Plant Health Officer, to expertise, to enhance synergy of effort and to stimulate innovative thinking in support of plant health policy.
This includes:
- Horizon scanning to identify potential future threats and evidence needs, advising on implications for pest and disease prevention. Enhancing Scotland’s capacity and capability to respond to emerging threats.
- Strengthening resilience and emergency response plans and contributing to improved surveillance and detection to ensure robust contingency measures are operational across sectors. Providing scientific evidence to support policy decisions on outbreak management, including strategies to minimise impact where eradication is not viable.
- Delivering timely and accurate research-based evidence on the mitigation of plant health risks, including management strategies, improved biosecurity, and an understanding of how new technologies and innovations can be used to help address these threats, to policy divisions, delivery agencies, and wider stakeholders.
- Reducing the plant pest and disease risks associated with the movements of plants, trade, and people.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Understanding the Requirement
/ Weighting: 10
Quality criterion: Programme Design and Methods
/ Weighting: 20
Quality criterion: Staff, Skills and Task Allocation
/ Weighting: 20
Quality criterion: Project Management, Risk Assessment and Ethics
/ Weighting: 20
Quality criterion: Data Management
/ Weighting: 10
Quality criterion: Climate Emergency
/ Weighting: 5
Quality criterion: Community Benefits
/ Weighting: 5
Quality criterion: Fair Work First
/ Weighting: 5
Quality criterion: Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR)
/ Weighting: 5
Price
/ Weighting:
20
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:
Optional 2 year extension at Scottish Government discretion.
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
Price Quality Ratio = Quality 80%: Price 20%
Total Value of Lot 4 across 3 + 2 year duration: 3569000 GBP
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
List and brief description of conditions:
4A.1 - 4A.1.1 Bidders may detail if they have been enrolled in the relevant professional or trade registers within the country in which they are established.
4A.2 - 4A.2.3 Bidders may detail, within a bidder’s country of establishment, which authorisation or memberships of the relevant organisation(s) are required in order to perform this service. Bidders must confirm if they hold the particular authorisation or memberships.
III.1.2) Economic and financial standing
List and brief description of selection criteria:
4B.4 - 4B.4.1 Within the SPD, Scottish Government will ask the following criteria on economic and financial standing. Please respond with the appropriate information.
Bidders will be required to state the value(s) for the following financial ratio(s).
Current Ratio will be calculated as follows: total current assets divided by total current liabilities and shall be based on the previous financial year.
There must be no qualification or contra-indication from any evidence provided in support of the bidders economic and financial standing. A form of financial assessment from each tenderer is required and the Authority will undertake an action using Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) to obtain a Financial Ratio/or other economic criteria for the Tenderer and any consortia or reliance members. To conduct the Financial Assessment, we will use the details of the organisation that has signed the Form of Tender. Please refer to the Evaluation Guide and Award Criteria for further information.
4B.5.1a. - 4B.5.3 It is a requirement of this contract that bidders hold, or can commit to obtain prior to the commencement of any subsequently awarded contract, the types and levels of insurance indicated below. Such insurance must be maintained for the duration of the Contract and for a minimum of 5 years following the expiry or termination of the Contract.
Minimum level(s) of standards required:
4B.4 - 4B.4.1 Financial Ratio - Bidders must demonstrate a Current Ratio of no less than 0.8.
4B.5.1a. - 4B.5.3 Employer’s (Compulsory) Liability Insurance = in accordance with any legal obligation for the time being in force.
Public Liability Insurance (in a sum not less) = 5,000,000 GBP
Professional Risk Indemnity Insurance (in a sum not less) = 2,000,000 GBP
III.1.3) Technical and professional ability
List and brief description of selection criteria:
4C.4 Supply Chain Management/Tracking Systems Used (MANDATORY)
4C.5 Checks by Public Body/Official Body on Production Capacities/Technical Capacity
4C.6 - 4C.6.1 Qualifications
4C.7 Environmental Management Measures (MANDATORY)
4C.10 Proportion (%) to be Sub-Contracted (MANDATORY)
4D.1 - 4D.1.2 Quality Assurance Schemes
Minimum level(s) of standards required:
4C.4 If bidders intend to use a supply chain to deliver the requirements detailed in the Contract Notice, they should confirm they have (or have access to) the relevant supply chain management and tracking systems to ensure a resilient and sustainable supply chain. This will include confirmation that they have the systems in place to pay subcontractors through the supply chain promptly and effectively, and provide evidence when requested of:
a) their standard payment terms
b) ≥95% of all supply chain invoices being paid on time (in accordance with the terms of contract) in the last financial year.
If the bidder is unable to confirm (b) they must provide an improvement plan, signed by their Director, which improves the payment performance.
4C.5 Bidders will be required to confirm that they will allow checks to be conducted on their production and technical capacities and where necessary on the means of study and research facilities available to it and on the quality control measures employed.
4C.6 - 4C.6.1 Bidders will be required to confirm the relevant educational and professional qualifications held.
4C.7 Bidders will be required to demonstrate knowledge of the climate emergency and the impact of their organisation, including their organisation’s own scope 1 and 2 emissions. Accepted evidence includes but is not limited to: -A completed copy of the Bidder ‘priority contract’ Climate Change Plan Template, including the bidder’s calculated scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions and their planned projects and actions to reduce their carbon emissions.
4C.10 Bidders will be required to confirm whether they intend to sub-contract and if so, for what proportion of the contract.
If there are named subcontractors/technicians upon which the bidder will rely to meet the selection criteria, these named parties must complete and reattach the SPD Supplier Response Form attached to SPD questions 2C.1.1 (Technicians) and 2D.1.2 (Subcontractors) on PCS-T whilst also signing the Delivery Partner and Sub-Contractor Declaration Form uploaded on PCS-T attachment area.
4D.1 - 4D.1.2 Bidders may provide information of any certificates drawn up by independent bodies attesting that the bidder complies with the required quality assurance standards.
III.2) Conditions related to the contract
III.2.2) Contract performance conditions
As detailed in the procurement documents.
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.1.8) 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:
2026/S 000-046748
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
30/09/2026
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
Duration in months: 6 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date:
30/09/2026
Local time: 12:00
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
No
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
SPD (Scotland) will be scored on a pass/ fail basis.
Question scoring methodology detailed in the Evaluation and Award Criteria document will apply when scoring the Technical Response Documents during the evaluation stage. The Quality/ Price ratio = 80% Quality 20% Price.
Each evaluator will award a mark for each question between 0 and 4, in accordance with the methodology detailed below;
Technical responses will be evaluated using the methodology detailed in the Evaluation and Award Criteria on a scoring basis of 0-4. For questions denoted ‘M’ tenderer's must achieve a minimum moderated average score of 2. If the moderated average score is less than ‘2’ for any of the questions marked ‘M’, the tender will not be subject to Price Analysis and a score of 0 (zero) will be awarded in respect of the Price Score. As a result, the tender will not be considered further.
The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 32445. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343
A sub-contract clause has been included in this contract. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2363
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:
Tenderer will be required to consider the following community benefits themes:
Lot 1: Training pathways, placements and early career opportunities in climate science and policy, targeting priority groups. This may include graduate placements, PhD internships and early career researcher opportunities aligned to Scotland’s climate evidence and policy needs, or opportunities to gain experience on science communication through panels and/or event facilitation.
- Public engagement and climate literacy initiatives, including schools outreach and development of accessible resources and organisation of public engagement events, enhancing public understanding and participation.
- Community-focused climate resilience initiatives, supporting vulnerable populations and contributing to a just transition.
- Working with key delivery partners and intermediaries to translate climate research into locally relevant actions that strengthen community resilience and support low-carbon economic development.
- Engagement with vulnerable and under-represented groups to support a just transition
- Collaboration with SMEs, third sector and supported businesses through delivery and supply chains.
- Development of accessible tools, data and resources to support uptake of climate evidence.
Lot 2: PhD internships (should deliver 1 within the initial contract period);
- community engagement events raising public awareness of veterinary public health (should deliver 1 within the initial contract period).
Lot 3: Training, placements and early career opportunities related to nature and biodiversity, water and broader environmental science. This includes projects commissioned by the centre that are over 6 months in duration having an early career researcher/consultant working on them and early career representation on every advisory group and expert panel funded by the centre.
- Mainstreaming the importance of Nature, Water and the Wider environment within communities with the creation of at least one public focused publication per year and one public engagement event.
Lot 4: Upskilling the workforce – this can either be the creation of relevant biosecurity or plant pest guidance for at least one sector per year, or a minimum of one annual training event to increase plant health and biosecurity awareness of appropriate employers.
- Mainstreaming the importance of plant health within communities with the creation of at least one public focused publication per year and one public engagement event.
(SC Ref:838973)
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Edinburgh Sheriff Court
27 Chambers Street
Edinburgh
EH1 1LB
UK
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
17/08/2026