Procurement for Housing Scotland

PfH Scotland is a specialist procurement partner for Scotland’s social housing sector. We work with housing associations, local authorities, registered social landlords, DLOs and ALMOs to deliver procurement solutions that save time, reduce costs and support compliance with Scottish procurement legislation. We’ve been working in social housing for over 20 years, and everything we offer, from frameworks and DPS solutions to consultancy and technology, is shaped around the specific pressures facing Scottish housing providers. 

The main benefits our members talk about are speed, compliance confidence and access to suppliers they might not otherwise reach. Running a full procurement exercise takes significant time and internal resource. Using a PfH Scotland framework means the hard work of supplier assessment and legal compliance has already been done. You also get access to Quantum, our spend and contract management platform, and a dedicated account manager who knows your sector. 

Our frameworks are open to Scottish public bodies with a housing remit, housing associations, local authorities, ALMOs and registered social landlords. If you’re not sure whether your organisation qualifies, just get in touch and we’ll advise you. 

Our support doesn’t stop once a framework contract is awarded. That’s probably the biggest difference. We have consultants who work alongside housing teams on live projects, technology that helps members manage contracts and spend over time, and account managers who stay involved throughout. The combination of compliance, Scottish sector knowledge and ongoing hands-on support is what sets us apart. 

PfH Scotland offers specialist frameworks across building works and materials, construction, consultancy and professional services, decarbonisation, health, safety and compliance, living and accommodation solutions, and workplace solutions. We also have SHED (Social Housing Emerging Disruptors) agreements covering innovation in housing operations, retrofit and digital solutions. All frameworks are compliant with the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 and the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, and support both direct awards and mini-competitions. 

It depends on what you’re buying, how much internal resource you have and how complex the requirement is. Our frameworks and DPS solutions are well suited to organisations with some procurement capability dealing with relatively standard requirements. Our consultancy services are there when things are more complex, higher risk or where you need end-to-end support. Either way, our team will talk you through the options and help you find the most sensible route to market. 

Yes. All PfH Scotland frameworks are developed and maintained in compliance with the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 and the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. We monitor regulatory developments from the Scottish Government on an ongoing basis and ensure our procurement routes meet current legal requirements, with full audit trails and documentation available to members. 

Procurement consultancy provides expert support for organisations without dedicated procurement teams, or for those managing complex, high-value procurements requiring specialist expertise. We can either work alongside your team to provide or build internal capabilities, or manage the entire procurement process for you, depending on your needs. Our consultancy ensures full compliance with procurement regulations while achieving best value outcomes.

A framework is a pre-established agreement with a fixed panel of suppliers and defined terms. It’s well suited to categories where requirements are reasonably predictable. A dynamic purchasing system works differently, new suppliers can join at any point during the agreement, which keeps the supply chain competitive and accessible. DPS works particularly well in faster-moving markets or where you want to encourage more SME and third sector participation. 

Quantum brings your contract data, spend information and supplier performance into one place. That makes it much easier to see where money is going, whether suppliers are delivering what they committed to and where you might be losing value. Features like price validation, spend tracking at basket level and renewal alerts help your team stay ahead of issues rather than reacting to them. It also helps members track and report on social value delivery in line with Scotland’s Sustainable Procurement Duty. 

Social value runs through everything we do. In Scotland, the Sustainable Procurement Duty means it’s also a legal obligation for contracting authorities to consider. We help members define meaningful outcomes, build social value expectations into supplier requirements, and track delivery through Quantum. In practice that means local employment, apprenticeships, supply chain diversity and community investment, not just pledges on paper, but things you can actually measure and report on. 

Membership is open to Scottish housing associations, local authorities, ALMOs and registered social landlords. Once you’re a member, you get immediate access to all frameworks, consultancy services and Quantum. The onboarding process is straightforward and our team will help you identify the right procurement routes from the start. 

Suppliers can apply when procurement opportunities are advertised through Public Contracts Scotland. For our dynamic purchasing systems, applications are open on a rolling basis throughout the agreement period. Our supplier community includes national contractors, Scottish regional specialists, SMEs and third sector organisations, all vetted and committed to delivering value for Scotland’s housing sector.