Contract award notice
Results of the procurement procedure
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
Scottish Government
5 Atlantic Quay, 150 Broomielaw
Glasgow
G2 8LU
UK
Telephone: +44 1312445485
E-mail: gigabit@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.4) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisions
I.5) Main activity
General public services
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Gigabit Infrastructure Subsidy scheme Lot 5 (Scotland): North East
Reference number: project_26720
II.1.2) Main CPV code
64200000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
Deployment of infrastructure that will facilitate access to gigabit capable internet connections to premises which are not expected to be otherwise covered by suppliers' commercial plans.
This procurement is for the award of a Regional Supplier Contract in the North East of Scotland comprising parts of Dundee, Angus, Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City, Moray, Highland and Perth and Kinross. This is part of the Gigabit Infrastructure Subsidy scheme.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
105 716 142.00
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
32412100
32425000
32412000
32562300
32570000
45231600
45232300
64227000
45232332
50330000
32510000
50332000
50334400
64210000
32000000
32572000
32420000
32424000
45314000
32500000
45314310
32571000
32412110
32572200
32562100
45314300
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKM5
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Gigabit Infrastructure Subsidy scheme forms part of Project Gigabit. Project Gigabit is a UK Government funded programme aimed at supporting the build of gigabit-capable broadband infrastructure in areas of the UK which are unlikely to attract commercial investment within a reasonable timeframe, if at all (referred to as the final 20% (f20)).
Building Digital UK (BDUK) is an executive agency of the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology. BDUK is targeting market interventions in f20 areas of the UK through the award of subsidised contracts to support the build of gigabit-capable networks providing long-term, sustainable wholesale gigabit broadband infrastructure in the hardest to reach parts of the UK.
As part of Project Gigabit, the Scottish Government is working with BDUK to deliver contracts to suppliers delivering gigabit-capable wholesale infrastructure in Scotland. This procurement approach is a successor to the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme and will work in parallel with the Scottish Government’s current Reaching 100% (R100) programme.
The Regional Supplier Contracts are intended to be for larger numbers of premises than those covered under contracts placed under the Gigabit Infrastructure Subsidy Dynamic Purchasing System. This procurement is for the award of a Regional Supplier Contract in the geographic area of North East Scotland comprising parts of Dundee, Angus, Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City, Moray, Highland and Perth and Kinross. It concerns the delivery of a gigabit-capable network for an estimated total number of 68,342 premises.
The contract will remain in force for approximately 11 years comprising a build period of approximately 4 years, followed by an operational period of at least seven years. It is the intention that the build period will be completed by the end of 2029.
The provision of subsidy will be provided in accordance with the UK subsidy control regime.
The Invitation to Tender documentation is provided as part of the procurement documents during the first stage of this two stage Restricted Procedure process for information purposes, but bidders do not need to respond to the Invitation to Tender documentation as part of their Single Procurement Document (SPD) submissions. Bidders that qualify to participate in the second stage of the process following Scottish Government's assessment of their SPD submissions will be notified by Scottish Government and will be invited to submit a tender in accordance with the Invitation to Tender documentation.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion: Technical
/ Weighting: 65
Price
/ Weighting:
35
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
Yes
Description of options:
The estimated total number of premises indicated in section II.2.4 comprises an Initial Scope for specified premises and a deferred list of premises (“Deferred Scope”) for further specified premises. The Deferred Scope may be authorised by the Scottish Government after the contract's Effective Date in accordance with Clause 6 (Deferred Scope Authorisation) of the Regional Supplier Contract Terms and Conditions. The number of premises in the Deferred Scope may be subject to amendment prior to authorisation, in particular as a result of further reviews of the commercial viability of the premises.
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Restricted 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:
2024/S 000-016916
Section V: Award of contract
Contract No: project_26720
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
03/07/2025
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 1
Number of tenders received from tenderers from EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
GoFibre Holdings Limited
8th Floor, Exchange Tower, 19 Canning Street
Edinburgh
EH3 8EG
UK
Telephone: +44 7714264984
NUTS: UK
The contractor is an SME:
Yes
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot:
: 105 716 142.00
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
The contract is likely to be subcontracted
Value or proportion likely to be subcontracted to third parties
Value excluding VAT: 62 500 000.00 GBP
Proportion: 59 %
Short description of the part of the contract to be subcontracted:
Survey, Civils & Fibre Installation and some planning elements
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
The successful Supplier will be required to comply with the Regional Supplier Contract as published as part of the procurement documents. The Regional Supplier Contract includes, without limitation, commitments by the Supplier in relation to prompt payment of its supply chain and compliance with applicable health and safety laws, regulations and guidance (including relating to street works and road works).
As a condition of being invited to tender for this Regional Supplier Contract, the Supplier must confirm that it agrees to follow the Access to Infrastructure Code (which is set out in the document named "PGiS - Lot 5 (Scotland) - SPD - Access to Infrastructure Code v1.0" that has been published as part of the procurement documents. Under the Access to Infrastructure Code the Supplier must offer information and access to other Suppliers to any new and existing infrastructure (of the type and within the parameters described in Paragraph 7 of Regional Supplier Contract Schedule 4 (Specification)) that it operates in an area covered by this procurement, if the other Supplier is also bidding for this procurement. If the Supplier does not operate any such infrastructure in an area covered by this procurement, it needs to provide a declaration to this effect as a condition of being invited to tender for this Regional Supplier Contract.
Suppliers interested in this Regional Supplier Contract should submit a completed Single Procurement Document in order to be considered to be invited to tender. The Scottish Government is not limiting the number of suppliers who qualify from the qualification stage. The selection criteria are set out in the procurement documents and are available at the address described in this Additional Information section.
The Scottish Government reserves the right not to award a Regional Supplier Contract under this procurement, to cancel the procurement process at any time and to change the procurement process (including any requirement or deadline).
The Scottish Government reserves the right not to proceed with, to cancel or to adjust the Deferred Scope as referred to in II.2.4 above, in particular as a result of the authorisation process provided for in the contract.
The Scottish Government shall not be responsible for any costs, charges or expenses incurred by Suppliers and accepts no liability for any costs, charges or expenses in relation to the process to award the Regional Supplier Contract, including if the procurement process is cancelled, amended or delayed.
In accordance with the applicable subsidy control rules, the Scottish Government is following a procurement procedure in accordance with the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 to award this Regional Supplier Contract. The Scottish Government considers that this contract is, however, exempt from the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 by virtue of Regulation 9.
(SC Ref:805392)
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Edinburgh Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace Court
27 Chambers Street
Edinburgh
EH1 1LB
UK
Telephone: +44 1312252525
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
25/07/2025