Check the Supplier Exchange Portal and do business with the Council
Do you run a business? Would you like to sell to the Council but you are unsure how to go about it?
You can now view any open tender between £20,000 and £144,000 on a new Council website. It is the first of its kind in local government in Scotland.
Each year the Council spends around £710 million on goods and services. Schools, nurseries, libraries, Council houses and even our parks need specialist products and services to keep them running smoothly.
It could be books, play equipment, paint, fire alarms, or even caterpillars for a biology lesson!
Given the rich variety of items, suppliers often find it difficult to know what goods and services are required by the Council.
But now suppliers can look at our new website called the Supplier Exchange Portal.
As the first local authority site of its kind in Scotland, it has been enthusiastically endorsed by the local Federation of Small Businesses and the Chamber of Commerce.
Graham Russell from the Federation of Small Businesses says: “I believe that with the launch of their new and dedicated website the City of Edinburgh Council has achieved a major step forward in procurement.”
Graham Birse, deputy chief executive of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said: “Public sector contracts are a vital element of the Edinburgh economy – worth over £710m through the Council’s procurement service alone.
“Too often, small local businesses can be deterred by the processes and imagine that contracts will go to larger companies outside Edinburgh, or even Scotland.
“In fact, 51 per cent of Council contracts go to local firms – and the Council has set a target to increase this further.
“We welcome the new procurement website as a step in the right direction, simplifying the process and encouraging more local businesses to submit bids for contracts.
“This is good news for small and medium businesses and good news for the local economy.”
For more information about selling to the Council and the Supplier Exchange, contact: Gaynor Bowers, Procure to Pay, Payments and Procurement Services Division, call 0131 469 3544 or e-mail: gaynor.bowers@edinburgh.gov.uk
To take a look at the advertising portal go to the following website: www.supplierexchange.org.uk