Scotland Excel tender opportunities are published on the Public Contracts Scotland website - a free to use national advertising portal.
Identifying opportunities
There are a number of information resources that companies can use to find out about public sector tender opportunities.
Public Contracts Scotland (PCS)
All public sector tender opportunities in Scotland are advertised on the national Public Contracts Scotland Advertising Portal. Suppliers can register free-of-charge to download a tender notice or record their interest in an opportunity. Once registered, suppliers can also sign up for free e-mail alerts.
Official Journal of the European Union
All public sector tender opportunities above a certain threshold are published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). A free-to-use online version is available via the OJEU website, where suppliers can search for public sector contract opportunities in Europe, the UK and Ireland.
Supply2.gov.uk
Supply2.gov.uk is aimed at small businesses that are interested in lower value public sector contracts. Created by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), it provides a searchable online database of tender opportunities with a value of less than £100,000. This site will be replaced in March 2011 with a new central portal for UK public sector tender opportunities.
Subscription services
There are several paid-for subscription services which publish public sector tender information. These also provide notification alerts and a range of ancillary services.
Public sector websites
Some public sector organisations publish details of tender opportunities on their website.
Supplier events
Trade exhibitions and supplier events such as the Supplier Development Programme's 'Meet the Buyer' are often a good way to learn about upcoming contract opportunities.