COUNCIL contracts are awarded to local businesses where possible, says the local authority.
And officials have revealed that Dumfries and Galloway Council has managed to increase the overall proportion of spend that is procured locally, achieving 35.66 per cent of its procurement spend with local businesses.
That equated to more than £20 million going directly into the local economy during the first quarter of the financial year.
However, they say that attracting interest and competition is a challenge for some of their tenders, but they are working to mitigate the impact.
As well as spend, council contracts are written to provide added value: 82 per cent of regulated contracts awarded during the reporting period included the requirement for Fair Work conditions, which aims to ensure workforces and their skill base are growing and local people are provided with good employment opportunities through the council’s procured contracts. This includes the provision of work experience placements and apprenticeships through community benefits in contracts.
Commenting, Councillor Ivor Hyslop said: “As far as possible we will try to ensure our tendering and procurement has a positive impact on local businesses, this is a key part of our council priorities. By sourcing local contractors this has the knock-on effect of boosting our local economy, which benefits our wider communities as a whole. I would encourage local businesses to view the opportunities on our website and get in touch with our friendly procurement team to see if they can be of any help. We look forward to working with you.”
Help, advice and opportunities for tendering can be found on the council website at dumgal.gov.uk.
