Transport Scotland’s Corporate Commitments

Transport Scotland’s Corporate Procurement Strategy in Context

Transport Scotland’s Corporate Procurement Strategy identifies the key policies and processes for undertaking its procurement activity. This Strategy sets out Transport Scotland’s corporate procurement aims and associated actions to support the achievement of Scottish Ministers’ ambition and vision for transport, as well as the strategic direction of Transport Scotland’s procurement activity for 2025-2026.

The Scottish Government published the first Public Procurement Strategy for Scotland on 27 April 2023. Its aims are to align all Scottish public sector bodies with a common vision for sustainable procurement for the future. This marks a significant milestone, demonstrating the Scottish Government’s determination to foster collaboration and position Scotland as a global leader in sustainable procurement practices.

The Scottish Government Strategy presents an overarching vision to position public procurement as the cornerstone of a sustainable economy and to maximise value for the people of Scotland. It emphasises leveraging procurement to drive inclusive economic growth, promote fair work, and support the transition to a net-zero economy. It outlines ambitious plans to use public spending power effectively to achieve these goals. It sets out how procurement enablers can be used to support the delivery of the following four key objectives through procurement activity:

  • good for businesses and their employees
  • good for places and communities
  • good for society
  • open and connected

These four key objectives and their enablers are reflected in this Transport Scotland Corporate Procurement Strategy. Transport Scotland’s Strategy sets out the framework in which the organisation will ensure that procurement delivers value for money and sustainability, whilst maintaining high professional standards and compliance with relevant legal requirements.

Transport Scotland is committed to supporting the Scottish Government’s aspirations for a just transition. The Just Transition Commission, published its Conditions for Success: Annual Report 2024 in December 2024. The Commission outlined key strategic requirements and policy steps essential for Scotland’s just transition, including developing Scotland’s workforce, integrating just transition principles into policies, and maximising social and economic benefits from new infrastructure projects.

By embedding Scottish government priorities and policy throughout its procurement processes, Transport Scotland aims to play a pivotal role in delivering a fair and sustainable transport system that supports Scotland’s long term economic and climate goals.

Transport Scotland’s Corporate Delivery Commitments

As an agency of the Scottish Government, Transport Scotland supports and advises the government on the strategy and policy for transport in Scotland. This enables the delivery of major transport projects and maintains the strategic infrastructure of Scotland. The agency is responsible for funding the development, operation and improvement of the motorway and trunk road, ferry, canal and railway networks in Scotland, Highlands and Islands and Prestwick airports, the provision of rail and ferry services, securing air routes for Scotland, the national concessionary travel schemes and the provision of network traffic and travel information services.

Transport is a key element of the overall strategy for infrastructure investment and is central to the Scottish Government’s ambitions for a low carbon economy. Transport Scotland seeks to deliver a sustainable, inclusive, safe, and accessible transport system for the benefit of the people of Scotland.

The National Strategy for Economic Transformation that was published in March 2022 detailed the strategy for putting people and opportunities at the centre of Scotland’s economy as it develops over the next 10 years. The Transport Scotland Corporate Plan 2024-27 supports this programme and sets out the commitments that Transport Scotland will deliver to support the Scottish Government’s Purpose. The National Transport Strategy (NTS2) presents the vision for Scotland’s transport system over the next 20 years, which is:

“We will have a sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible transport system, helping deliver a healthier, fairer and more prosperous Scotland for communities, businesses and visitors.”

Figure 1 - Transport Scotland's vision

Our vision

We will have a sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible transport system, helping deliver a healthier, fairer and more prosperous Scotland for communities, businesses and visitors.

Reduces inequalities

  • Will provide fair access to services we need
  • Will be easy to use for all
  • Will be affordable for all

Takes Climate Action

  • Will help deliver our net-zero target
  • Will adapt to the effects of climate change
  • Will enable greener, cleaner choices

Helps deliver inclusive economic growth

  • Will get people and goods where they need to get to
  • Will be reliable, efficient and high quality
  • Will use beneficial innovation

Improves our health and wellbeing

  • Will be safe and secure for all
  • Will enable us to make healthy travel choices
  • Will help make our communities great places to live

The NTS2 vision is underpinned by four priorities, each with three associated outcomes as shown in Figure 1. The vision, priorities and outcomes will be the basis upon which decisions are taken and evaluate the success of Scotland’s transport policies going forward. Procurement activity will be key in delivering the vision. The National Transport Strategy Fourth Delivery Plan sets out the practical actions which will deliver the vision, providing a coordinated overview to the transport investments and projects.

A core part of the NTS2 delivery plan is the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).  The final reports on the STPR2 were published in December 2022 and will inform transport investment in Scotland over a 20-year period (2022-2042). These reports provide evidence-based recommendations on which the Scottish Ministers can base future transport investment decisions and cover all active travel methods. STPR2, in addition to tackling inequalities and promoting health and wellbeing, supports Scotland’s net zero targets by addressing how transport emissions can be reduced.

In February 2025, the Scottish Government published a draft plan for the Just Transition for Transport in Scotland which identifies the key challenges and opportunities that the transport sector faces in making a just transition to net zero. This details outcomes which have been grouped into four themes: jobs, skills and economic opportunities, communities and places, people and equality, and adaptation, biodiversity and environment. This draft plan, which was published for consultation until 19 May 2025, acknowledges that it will be developed and revised as the transition continues.

Transport Scotland’s Procurement Activity

Transport Scotland undertakes a wide range of procurement activities to enable the agency to deliver its responsibilities. Procurement spend represents a substantial proportion of Transport Scotland’s budget with most of the remainder being expended through grant funding and other forms of support to public and private sector organisations.

On average Transport Scotland has more than 250 contracts in place at any one time. These range from large-scale contracts, such as those associated with trunk road maintenance and provision of ferries services, through to smaller contracts including the purchase of goods and services needed to keep staff and offices supported and operational.

In accordance with the requirements of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, Transport Scotland maintains a Contracts Register that includes details of contracts entered into as a result of a regulated procurement. It is published on the Public Contracts Scotland portal.

Stakeholder Engagement

Effective engagement with Transport Scotland’s stakeholders on procurement matters is essential to drive innovation, best practice, and collaboration. The following list, although not exhaustive, demonstrates the broad range of stakeholders that may be engaged in these discussions relating to procurements with Transport Scotland:

  • active travel groups
  • Association of Consulting Engineers
  • British Transport Police
  • Civil Engineering Contractors Association
  • community groups and individual landowners and residents
  • Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
  • cycling groups
  • Department for Transport
  • disabled people organisations
  • Federation of Small Businesses
  • Freight Haulage Association
  • Highways Term Maintenance Association
  • Local Authorities and National Park Authorities
  • Mobility and Access Committee Scotland
  • National Highways
  • Network Rail
  • Office of Rail and Road
  • public utility providers
  • public transport groups
  • Rail Delivery Group
  • Regional Transport Partnerships
  • Scottish Futures Trust
  • Scottish Government Directorates, including Scottish Government Legal Directorate and Scottish Procurement and Property Directorate
  • Scottish Ministers
  • Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland
  • Scottish Government Agencies including those acting as Statutory bodies or Regulators e.g. NatureScot and Historic Environment Scotland
  • suppliers
  • third sector
  • trade unions;
  • Transport Focus
  • Transport for Wales
  • universities and other academic establishments

Transport Scotland advertises regulated procurement opportunities, as well as lower value procurements, through the Public Contracts Scotland Portal and those valued at over the thresholds set out in the World Trade Organisation’s Government Procurement Agreement are also advertised through the UK Find a Tender service. Transport Scotland undertakes early market engagement to identify areas of savings, added value, innovation and to ensure that tendering for Transport Scotland contracts remains an attractive opportunity. Transport Scotland also publishes Contract Award Notices for regulated procurements, including frameworks and collaborative contracts, on the Public Contracts Scotland Portal.

Transport Scotland holds industry days when appropriate to promote interest in forthcoming contract opportunities and inform potential suppliers of the business opportunities that a contract may provide. Competitive Dialogue procedures are also utilised by Transport Scotland for works contracts, where appropriate, to encourage innovative solutions and achieve best value for money.