Case Study
Lynsey Gordon , Category Manager has been developing and managing Scotland Excel food contracts since 2014 . In this case study , she takes a look at the work the organisation has been doing to embed national and local food policy in our contracts .
Scotland Excel ’ s food portfolio is an integral part of our commitment to shaping innovative procurement services for local authorities . We work hard to ensure that our insight and experience in this market has a positive impact that reaches far beyond the food that appears on our plates .
Ensuring Scotland ’ s extensive public spend on food and drink supports the nation ’ s food and drink sector has been a major focus for the Scottish Government in recent years . Scottish councils are increasingly looking to source local produce to deliver a positive impact for their communities .
That ’ s why , as our food contracts have evolved over recent years , we have looked for innovative ways to use public procurement to make sure more locally sourced products are available through our frameworks .
When developing our latest groceries framework , we took a creative approach to help drive forward the ambitions of the national Dairy Action Plan . A secondary price list within the tender process allowed suppliers to offer Scottish dairy products as alternatives to those on the core list . Local authorities have since generated £ 1.1m of business for the Scottish cheese sector by switching to a Scottish product .
We also considered the Dairy Action Plan when retendering our milk contract . We asked bidders to demonstrate how they support sustainable farm gate pricing though a transparent and efficient supply chain . And , as with previous frameworks , we ensured that local SME dairies could bid for a place on the framework alongside national suppliers by splitting the tender into geographic lots .
24 | Shared Vision , Shared Success . Our Corporate Strategy 2018 – 2023