Purchasing from the Third Sector in Scotland
Each year local authorities in Scotland procure over œ5.4bn of supplies, works, and services. Based on a sample of councils, this report examines the level and pattern of procurement from Third Sector suppliers. The study involved a comprehensive analysis of council data for the financial year 2012/2013, with manual classification of suppliers. Key findings - On average each council purchased services from 443 Third Sector suppliers - The Third Sector is a major component of the supplier base. In the cases examined, the Third Sector accounted for 7-15% of all council suppliers - On average each council purchased œ33m from the sector- While Third Sector suppliers are often perceived as small and local, this is not always the case. The data show that the average Third Sector supplier received payment of œ104,395 for work - In one area, five of the Council?s 20 largest suppliers were Third Sector organisations.
