SCOTLAND EXCEL RESPONSE TO THE ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE SUNDAY POST, 02 MAY 2010

Further to publication of the above article, Scotland Excel would like to clarify that no awards have yet been made to any supplier in respect of contracts for the Supply and Delivery of Text Books and the Supply and Delivery of Library Books.  The closing date for bids for the Supply and Delivery of Library Books has now passed and submissions are being evaluated.  The tender for the Supply and Delivery of Textbooks remains open for bids to be submitted until 01 June 2010, and details of this tender opportunity have been published on www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk.

Scotland Excel has made the following statement in relation to the tender process for these contracts to date.

Scotland Excel: Statement in relation to the Tender Process for a Contract for Supply and Delivery of Text Books and a Contract for the Supply and Delivery of Library Books

Scotland Excel is a procurement organisation dedicated to delivering value to local authorities across Scotland through the development of collaborative contracts. The procurement process used by Scotland Excel is transparent and robust with integrity at all stages and is fully compliant with the EU Procurement Regulations which local authorities must follow.

The purchasing strategies for both text books and library books were developed by Scotland Excel in consultation with local authority stakeholders including procurement, education, and librarian staff.  Additionally, Scotland Excel collaborated with Scottish Library Information Council (SLIC) on the development of the library book strategy to ensure customer needs were understood.

Both tenders are being managed using the Open Procedure. With this procedure, any supplier interested in the contract will be invited to tender. The requirements for text books and library books have been structured into both geographical and product groupings to encourage offers from a range of suppliers.

It is anticipated that the framework contracts for textbooks will account for around 80% of the local authority spend. The tender has been developed to capture requirements for high volume, mainstream textbooks.  Specialist books and materials will continue to be sourced through current arrangements.

Similarly, the frameworks for library books will not include requirements for ad hoc, specialist material and some Scottish material which will continue to be sourced by local authorities directly.

Any enquiries relating to the above contracts should be directed in the first instance to our Helpline on 0845 606 8726.  Media enquiries may be directed to Maureen Robertson on 0141 842 6642.