APUC are one of eight higher and further education purchasing consortia in the UK, collectively known as UK Universities Purchasing Consortia (UKUPC).
APUC tender and contract manage Framework Agreements on behalf of our members. To help maximise cost savings, increase added –value opportunities and avoid duplication, we also collaborate with our UKUPC partners to award contracts that all consortia, and their members, have full access to.
As APUC are a Scottish Public Contracting Authority, we advertise all opportunities on both the Scottish Government’s advertising portal, Public Contracts Scotland and the UK Government’s Find a Tender. Where appropriate, we will also publish on OJEU (Official Journal of European Union), to satisfy certain funding obligations.
How to register for Tendering Opportunities?
APUC, alongside all of the Scottish Public Sector, utilise the Scottish Government advertising Portal, Public Contracts Scotland (PCS). PCS provides suppliers with free access to contractual opportunities within the Scottish Public Sector. Click here to register.
Public Contracts Scotland – Tender (PCS-T)
PCS-T is the national electronic tendering system used by public sector organisations in Scotland. PCS-T lets public sector buyers and supplier manage tender programmes electronically. It’s a secure, standardised way to conduct competitive procurement online, whilst ensuring transparency and compliance with Scottish procurement regulations. Click here to register.
Next Stages:
Once you have registered as a supplier on both PCS and PCS-T, you can manage alerts for specific contract opportunities relating to your business, that are published by the Scottish public sector within your account.
APUC recommend registering using a generic email address. APUC do not have access to update supplier details on both systems, please contact the specific helpdesks.
Please note: Completing your registration on PCS and PCS-T does not mean you are a supplier to APUC members. To become a supplier, you must be awarded a place on the APUC framework agreement, following a full tender exercise.
APUC work collaboratively on a number of Framework Agreements through UKUPC .
The Supplier Development Programme offers free training, support and information to SMEs and 3rd sector organisations interested in working with the public sector. Suppliers will also find there, details of external events that may be of interest.
Whilst these Framework Agreements are available to our members to utilise, they are not always led or managed by the Strategic Sourcing team. To stay up to date on tender opportunities across UKUPC, registration with different e-sourcing platforms may be required.