Supported Business
Supported businesses are enterprises where more than 50% of the workers are disabled persons who are unable to take up work in the open labour market. Said businesses are often categorised as third sector organisations encompassing social enterprises, charities and co-operatives amongst many others.
Disabled people, it has been shown, spend more in medical care or personal support, and at the same time they need to overcome huge barriers which prevent them from earning a living. Therefore, often they have worse living conditions – including insufficient food, poor housing, lack of access to safe water and sanitation. In some cases disabled people can be denied the most basic rights, such as access to an education, health care, employment, political participation, social and family life. By awarding contracts to supported businesses it can tackle many of the problems, reduce the associated costs to the tax payer and increase personal well being, wealth and disposable income. This brings us back to the concept of whole life cost. Although the initial cost to the NHS when awarding a contract may seem higher, it may in the long term have far reaching socio-economic benefits.
The Scottish Government Supported Business Framework Contract covers a range of goods and services including furniture, document management, textiles and signage. Supported businesses on the framework will have an opportunity to grow their public sector business, while buyers can enhance the social impact of their spend by purchasing from the contract.
Community Benefit Clauses
We are committed to maximising Community Benefits from procurement activities. This will be achieved through the inclusion of specific clauses within procurement contracts known as Community Benefit Clauses.
Community Benefit Clauses are contractual requirements which deliver wider benefits in addition to the core purpose of the contract. These clauses can be used to build a range of economic, social, or environmental conditions into the delivery of contracts. Such social, economic, and environmental benefits are hereinafter referred to as Community Benefits.
The Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations enable public bodies to include Community Benefits in the procurement process, in certain circumstances.
