Bringing together buyers and suppliers from across Scotland's public procurement community
Procurex Scotland, the leading public procurement event in Scotland, returns to Glasgow in October 2024, bringing together buyers, suppliers, leaders and influencers from across Scotland’s £16 billion public procurement marketplace.
Officially supported by the Scottish Government and playing host to some of Scotland’s leading expert speakers, buyers and supplier organisations, Procurex is the one event Scotland’s public procurement professionals cannot afford to miss.
Ivan McKee MSP
Minister for Public Finance
Ivan McKee was appointed Minister for Public Finance in May 2024. His career has involved a number of senior roles in manufacturing and business, managing companies in the UK as well as Poland, Finland, Croatia and Bosnia. Early in his career, Ivan spent two years with VSO in Bangladesh. He is currently a trustee of the charity CEI, which supports education and health projects in Bangladesh. Ivan has been MSP for Glasgow Provan since May 2016. He was brought up in Glasgow where he studied at the University of Strathclyde. He also studied at the University of Newcastle.
Nick Ford
Director of Procurement & Property
Nick spent eight years as Head of Commercial and Procurement at the Department for International Development. Following over 25 years within the private sector specialising in procurement, commercial and project management in roles across the UK, USA, Australia, and Spain, Nick joined the public sector as part of HMG’s Commercial Functional Leadership Group. Nick is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) and a Chartered Global Management Accountant. Previously a CIPS Regional Chair and regular keynote speaker at conferences, Nick is also an active mentor for Procurement and Commercial professionals.
Rona Dougall
Presenter
Rona Dougall is a broadcaster, freelance journalist and also a popular TV presenter best known as the host of STV’s flagship current affairs programme ‘Scotland Tonight‘. The thirty minute live programme takes an in-depth look at the big news stories of the day, along with sport, politics, business, art and entertainment. Before becoming a Scottish Television anchor, Rona was Sky News Scotland correspondent for over 15 years. During that time she covered many headline stories, including the Dunblane massacre, the trial of the Lockerbie bomber at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands, the death of Princess Diana from Balmoral, the opening of the Scottish parliament and several Scottish elections. She was also part of the British Bafta award winning team which covered the terrorist attack at Glasgow airport. Off duty Rona Dougall is a mother to her two children, a keen runner and a voracious reader.
Natalie Lafferty
Head of Representation & Policy
Bio coming soon
Fiona Conti
Chair
Bio coming soon
Mark Elliott
Head of CivTech Division - Digital Directorate
Mark's been involved with innovation for almost the whole of his life, certainly since his teenage years when his father – a researcher, inventor and innovator [though he preferred the word ‘engineer’] – realised Mark would be a good lab rat. Mark is also one of those rare animals who’s developed long and successful track records at the highest levels of the digital and creative industries, in multiple disciplines - as a creative practitioner, as a business lead, as an economic development strategist, and latterly as the guiding force behind CivTech Scotland, the world’s first successful public-sector-focused innovation accelerator. With the ability to range from big visions to the tiniest detail, he couples strategy with successful, genuine and impactful on-the-ground effort. He graduated from St Martin’s School of Art, London and became London’s [and probably the world’s] youngest commercials editor, then its youngest commercials director, making films across the world for clients including Coca Cola, Walt Disney, Volkswagen, Ford, Unilever and Procter & Gamble. Business-wise, he first took charge of the fortunes of a start-up at the age of 22 and helped it grow into one of the most successful commercials post-production companies around. It means he’s worked in, and with, start-ups and SMEs pretty much ever since. At the same time as working in film Mark took on many other challenges. In 1996 he became the world’s first Creative Head of a Premiership football club – helping to massively increase the brand power and commercial activities of [the then fashionable] Middlesbrough AFC. He was also co-founder and creative head of radical and highly successful training company ClickHere Ltd – sold to Tanfield Plc in 2003. Mark has also sat on numerous advisory and regulatory boards at local, regional and national level, including Audiences North East, the Film and Television Skills Advisory Group, North East England [2003 – 2007], the Tees Valley Learning and Skills Council [2002 – 2006], and the Creative Industries Advisory Group Member, ONE North East [2001 – 2005]. In 2003 he took over DigitalCity in the Tees Valley, North East England: in the eleven years under his leadership it went from ‘troubled’ paper exercise to a fully-fledged and brilliantly successful creative and digital cluster initiative, acknowledged as one of the greatest projects of its type anywhere in Europe. Mark was its 'architect' and champion, and with a mission to create and maintain a vibrant, successful and self-sustaining digital and creative supercluster. It delivered everything a regeneration project should do [which they often don't], including massive company growth, hundreds of jobs, significant private sector investment and huge local economic impact. In his time there, Middlesbrough – the centre of the initiative - went from plumb bottom of over 400 areas in England to fourth place in terms of the proportion of high-growth-potential tech companies [Experian]; and in 2013 it was identified by the Financial Times as one of the UK’s digital hotspots – the only one in the UK north of Birmingham. Key partners in the DigitalCity were the region’s local authorities, and with DigitalCity actually based out of Middlesbrough Council, Mark became all too aware of the challenges and barriers faced by councils – especially those that are custodians of deprived areas. Mark’s history in tech has been a long one. The film industry has always been an early adopter, and Mark ordered some of the first non-linear editing systems for the editing company he ran back in the 1980s. At DigitalCity he started his long association with tech accelerators: there in 2009 he co-founded The Difference Engine – Europe’s first true, intensive tech accelerator, and on moving to Scotland in 2014, designed and executed Scotland’s first accelerator – the UP Accelerator. And in 2015 he was part of the team that gor CivTech off the ground. Now, some 90 or so Challenges later, it’s regarded as a singular success story, acknowledged in the Uk as the ‘gold standard’ in innovation systems, and internationally. CivTech is a key component of the Scottish Government’s transformation strategy, centred on driving daring and innovation in the Scottish public sector by collaboratively solving challenges to make people’s lives better, with an absolute focus on citizen-centred design and co-development, it pure and simple ‘tech for good’. He still walks the walk creatively and is currently developing a potentially huge cross-gender, worldwide children’s entertainment franchise - a future-based action-adventure story universe the world’s most popular sport, at its heart. He lives in Edinburgh, Scotland with his wife Janet Archer. And when he has time he escapes to the wonderful, rugged landscapes surrounding the city because he’s a passionate, 'double badass' [for those of you who know the Rules of Cycling], but very slow cyclist.
Alastair Young
Associate Director - Net Zero Transport
Alastair is an infrastructure programme delivery specialist currently working with Transport Scotland and local authorities to accelerate the delivery of electric vehicle charging infrastructure across Scotland as well as exploring ways to mobile private sector capital to support infrastructure delivery in this sector. Former roles have included managing the delivery of complex infrastructure projects and programmes in the education, waste and water sectors. Alastair also has a degree in Civil Engineering and an MBA.
Tom Wilkinson
Chief Data Officer
Tom is the Chief Data Officer at the Scottish Government, with extensive hands-on experience working across Data Science, Data Analysis, Data Architecture, Software Development and Data Engineering. With his wealth of experience working in various UK government departments, he has spent several years developing and improving organisations’ use of data to inform policy and operational decisions.
Denis Mcfadden
Head of Procurement Services Division
Denis is Head of the Procurement Services Division at the Scottish Government, delivering collaborative digital technology agreements for the Scottish public sector with particular interests in strategy development, commodity leadership, sustainability, supplier access and stakeholder engagement.
Iwona Cameron
Edinburgh University - The risk management approach to sustainability in their supply chain
Sion Pickering
Sustainable Business & Fair Trade Programme Manager
4 Skills Development Zones at Procurex Scotland
Whats on at Procurex Scotland
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thank you to our Event Partners
Scottish Government
Scottish Government Procurement Pavilion
The public sector spends over £14.5 billion a year on goods and services across the public sector. This provides an excellent platform to work with the public, private and third sectors to “deliver procurement that improves public services for a prosperous, fairer and more sustainable Scotland.” Public procurement is a key partner and enabler to deliver Scotland’s economic strategy. We invest in our people, infrastructure and assets in a sustainable way, encourage innovation, and promote inclusive growth Legislation has re-enforced the principles of the Scottish Model of Procurement. It maintains the ethos of the public procurement reform programme – business friendly, socially responsible procurement that delivers better outcomes for Scotland. Our public procurement contracts are amongst the most accessible in the world for micro, small and medium size organisations. We are providing opportunities for Scotland’s small and medium sized enterprises and third sector organisations to benefit through public sector business both domestically and in other countries.
Scotland Excel (FW)
Scottish Government Procurement Pavilion
Scotland Excel are leaders of change. Since 2008, we have helped to establish public procurement as an effective driver for local and national economic growth and wellbeing. Our services are designed to help our members deliver sustainable services that every community needs, and realise a host of social, economic and environmental benefits from their spend. Scotland Excel also delivers change management and consultancy services as well as a number of learning and development opportunities through our Academy.
APUC (Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges)
Scottish Government Procurement Pavilion
APUC (Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges) Limited is the procurement centre of expertise for Scotland’s 62 universities and colleges. It is a private limited company, owned by its client institutions and established in response to the McClelland Report: Review of Public Procurement in Scotland, which made recommendations for public procurement reform. In response to the challenges of procurement reform, APUC aims to meet and exceed client expectations through the delivery of four client service streams: Operational Procurement – Collaborative Contracting: Managing and delivering a wide-ranging contracting plan in line with client institutions' needs, informed by an account management approach, user intelligence groups and the sector’s Procurement Strategy Group. Processes and Best Practice: Managing developments in processes, legislation and policy, disseminating best practice information and facilitating procurement training for client institutions. College Services and Capital: Providing account management services for colleges including tendering support for capital and other higher-value tenders. eSolutions: Providing ongoing support to users of eProcurement solutions. Managing information to underpin benefits tracking and reporting to Scottish Government and supporting the use of the Public Contracts Scotland portal, Scottish Procurement Information Hub and Best Practice Indicators. APUC’s core vision is "to work jointly, as one team with client institutions, to maximise the contribution that advanced procurement makes to Scotland's investment in teaching, research and knowledge transfer so that institutions can deliver more with the funds that they have available".
NHS National Services Scotland
Scottish Government Procurement Pavilion
NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) provides national strategic support services and expert advice to NHSScotland in order to ‘support Scotland’s health’. NSS National Procurement provides a single procurement service for NHSScotland, using years of experience in procurement in order to achieve the best results for customers and deliver maximum savings.
Crown Commercial Service
Scottish Government Procurement Pavilion
Every buying decision you make has the power to make a difference and Crown Commercial Service (CCS) can help you with those decisions. Come along to hear from CCS’s leaders on everything from social value and sustainability, to tips and advice on how they can support you with your buying needs. Our solutions offer value for money, while also helping to support your policy needs. We take the pressure out of procurement so that you can focus on what matters most - improving health care, public services, transport, local communities, the environment and so much more.
Transport Scotland
Stand Number: 61
Transport Scotland is the national transport agency for Scotland and forms part of the Scottish Government. We are directly accountable to Scottish Ministers for transport policy and operations within Scotland. As set out in the National Transport Strategy, our vision is for a sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible transport system helping deliver a healthier, fairer and more prosperous Scotland for communities, businesses and visitors. Learn more about what we do on our website. https://www.transport.gov.scot/
Social Enterprise Scotland
Stand Number: 28
Bio coming soon
Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS)
Stand Number: 64
CIPS, the global membership organisation for procurement and supply. With 60,000 members spanning 156 countries and offices across the world, we’re building a global network to power our profession. We lead in education and training. We provide information and tools. And we help build capability within organisations. Through all our work, we are the voice and standard.
Supplier Development Programme (SDP)
Stand Number: 65
The Supplier Development Programme (SDP) provides Scottish public bodies with dedicated resources to support local supplier bidding capabilities, increasing visibility of contract opportunities & frameworks and connecting buyers and suppliers to open up the supply chain, facilitating local Community Wealth Building. Visit sdpscotland.co.uk for more information.
The Procurement People of Tomorrow (PPoT)
Stand Number: 44
The Procurement People of Tomorrow (PPoT) programme was launched to address a recognised skills gap in both private and public sectors with a history of challenges across industry in attracting, recruiting and retaining talent. This is an opportunity to leave a sustainable legacy for the procurement profession in Scotland by working together to grow our own talent and support youth employment.
Ministry of Defence
Stand Number: 53
The MOD’s Doing Business with Defence team facilitates the entry of new innovative and non traditional businesses into the defence supply chain. The team provide advice and guidance to companies on how to become a defence supplier and access MOD tender and contract opportunities through a variety of channels: – Helpdesk facility -Attendance at trade exhibitions across the UK where they will deliver presentations on request -Webinars -Publication of various sources of useful information via the supplier portal hosted on Defence Contracts Online and their Twitter account @defenceproc
Service Graphics
Stand Number: 39
The UK’s leading supplier of large format print, graphic production and installation services. Trusted by global brands to deliver stand-out visuals that engage and inspire. With unparalleled experience, cutting-edge technology, and a commitment to sustainability, Service Graphics is your go-to source for stand-out visual communications.
PASS Procurement
Market Engagement Hub
PASS procurement consultants present at over one hundred conferences and events each year as well as delivering in-house training and consultancy for both public and private sector clients. Our training sessions are designed to cover the legal requirements of public procurement in a non-legalistic manner, using real life examples to help simplify the rules. Thousands of organisations, public and private, have already benefited from PASS best practice tendering/procurement events and advice. Whether you work within public sector procurement or tender for public sector contracts, PASS can help you improve your efficiency and effectiveness.
Tracker
Market Engagement Hub
Tracker is the only end-to-end business development solution with the unique intelligence you need to find, bid for and win more business. With access to Europe’s largest database of opportunities and competitive insights – you can engage earlier to sell more effectively and win more business. And Tracker’s just got even better – now you can also upload opportunity documents and manage your bid responses all in the one place. Focus on winning business – not looking for it.
Supply2Gov
Market Engagement Hub
At Supply2Gov, we have one goal – to make business growth simpler for sole traders, micro and small businesses. Powered by the UK and Republic of Ireland’s largest database of public sector contract notices and awards, combined with our daily email alerts sent straight to your inbox, we’ve made it as easy as possible for you to find relevant opportunities as soon as they become available – giving you more time to focus on putting your bids together and growing your business. You can register for a free local area of your choice or take advantage of our flexible monthly payment options – giving you a no risk, scalable, cost effective contract alerts service option.
Delta
Market Engagement Hub
Delta eSourcing enables efficient, effective and compliant procurement. Utilised by thousands of public sector buyers every day, its Buyer Portal, Tender Manager, Supplier Manager, Contract Manager and eAuctions services can be used independently or else combined to form a comprehensive and effective end-to-end procurement solution. In challenging times, Delta eSourcing delivers transparency, compliance and value for money.
Cadence Marketing
Official Marketing Partner
At Cadence Marketing, we understand the importance of data in the public sector and have built a comprehensive database of over 200,000 contacts across 31,600 organisations, including Central Government, Local Government, NHS, Education, MOD, and Emergency Services. We love helping businesses connect with public sector buyers through targeted marketing solutions. Whether you’re looking to boost your email campaigns, do some market research, host a webinar, or create some killer content, we’ve got you covered. Reach the right people, stay up-to-date, make informed decisions and improve your win rate.
The Scottish Government 19th National Procurement Conference where delegates can learn and be inspired by what is happening now and what’s planned for the future: all with the aim of improving public sector service delivery and delivering a better Scotland for all.
This year’s Conference will focus on The Transformative Potential of Technology, AI and Innovation in Procurement – from supply chain management and resilience; to risk mitigation and sustainable procurement; we explore how Innovation, Technology and AI can maximise the impact of public procurement in delivering a sustainable economy and value for the people of Scotland.
Featuring
Thank you to our Event Sponsors
Lyreco
Stand Number: 26
YOUR RESPONSIBLE WORKPLACE SUPPLIES PARTNER Lyreco is more than just a workplace solutions company. We partner with our customers to drive performance, from savings to sustainability. We provide everything organisations need for their teams to have a great working day – wherever they work with social and environmental responsibility at the centre of everything we do.
Iron Mountain
Stand Number: 45
Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE: IRM) is a global leader in information management services. Founded in 1951 and trusted by more than 240,000 customers worldwide, Iron Mountain serves to protect and elevate the power of our customers’ work. Through a range of services including digital transformation, data centres, secure records storage, information management, asset lifecycle management, secure destruction, and art storage and logistics, Iron Mountain helps businesses bring light to their dark data, enabling customers to unlock value and intelligence from their stored digital and physical assets at speed and with security, while helping them meet their environmental goals. To learn more about Iron Mountain, please visit: www.IronMountain.com/en-gb and follow @IronMountain on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn.
Computacenter
Stand Number: 24
Computacenter is a leading independent technology and services provider, trusted by large corporate and public sector organisations. Computacenter is a responsible business that believes in winning together for our people and our planet. We help our customers to Source, Transform and Manage their technology infrastructure to deliver digital transformation, enabling people and their business. Computacenter is a public company quoted on the London FTSE 250 (CCC.L) and employs over 20,000 people worldwide. Computacenter has the largest service capability of any VAR in the World and working together with Dell Technologies, Cisco and Microsoft, we are excited to show how we can help Scottish Public Sector select and deploy digital technology, as well as arrange the commercial structures, integration and supply chain services to meet them reliably.
Pagabo
Stand Number: 23
Finding a procurement framework can be challenging, complex and time-consuming. At Pagabo, our client focussed service makes finding a procurement framework quicker, simpler, and more effective. We are free to access, easy to use and fully compliant. Find out more at https://pagabo.co.uk
Service Graphics
Stand Number: 39
The UK’s leading supplier of large format print, graphic production and installation services. Trusted by global brands to deliver stand-out visuals that engage and inspire. With unparalleled experience, cutting-edge technology, and a commitment to sustainability, Service Graphics is your go-to source for stand-out visual communications.
Testimonials
It’s been brilliant! We’ve had people travelling from as far as Seattle and Idaho to come here to find out about Scottish Procurement, so that says something – we must be doing something right!
Nikki Archer
Head of Procurement and Commercial Policy & Strategy and Head of Procurement Profession, Scottish Government
This is a really really important event. It’s the prime event for the whole of public sector each year. It’s great to see so many people here and it’s important for our buyers and procurement officers as well as our suppliers to get together and network and understand each others’ businesses.
Gordon Beattie
Director of National Procurement, NHS National Services Scotland
This is one of the most important events in the procurement calendar. I’ve been coming here since 2008 and it’s a big reunion for procurement people in the public sector across Scotland, for me it’s one of the most important dates of the year.
Julie Welsh
Chief Executive Officer, Scotland Excel
It’s important to be here to demonstrate our commitment to this sector and also the sustainable message that we have got in reason to PPE and workwear going forward.
Karen Carter
Director of National Delivery, Pagabo
There’s been a real balance of organisations here – the opportunity to speak to some of the local authorities and the NHS as well as Police Scotland and some of the emergency services. That breadth of audience has been unique.