FOI/202600512625 · FOI · partially withheld
Transport Scotland procurement processes: FOI release
Information requested
You asked questions around our procurement processes, energy and water costs.
Response
The answer to your questions are outlined below. For ease I have numbered each point under the headings you provided. I also note that this response is inclusive of Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS) whom you wrote to separately. MACS colleagues use Transport Scotland offices when required for in person meetings or work. Their initial response was issued to you on 2nd April 2026 under the reference 202600512591.
General Information
1.Transport Scotland has three sites; 177 Bothwell Street, Glasgow; Victoria Quay, Edinburgh; Traffic Control Centre, North Queensferry.
2. Utilities for the vast majority of Scottish further education premises and schools are procured through the Scottish Government Gas, Electricity and Water frameworks.
3. Our organisation utilises the Scottish Government frameworks who arrange utility contracts on our behalf. All Scottish Government utility procurement is governed by a combination of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014. The Education and Skills Funding Agency no longer exists and has been incorporated into the Department for Education in England. Our organisation has no relationship with these organisations.
4. Transport Scotland does not use DfE frameworks, but uses Scottish Government electricity & gas frameworks.
5. Transport Scotland has no specific reference to energy procurement in our Net Zero policy.
Energy Procurement & Pricing
1. There is a competitive tendering process undertaken. No brokers or Third Party Intermediaries are used. Only licensed Gas/Electricity suppliers are able to bid for the frameworks.
Details about the frameworks are here: Procurement - natural gas: framework agreement - gov.scot Framework scope and benefits - Procurement - supply of electricity framework SP-21-052: buyer guide - gov.scot
2. The Scottish Government Electricity framework started on 01 April 2023.
3. The Scottish Government Gas framework started on 01 April 2024.
4. The Scottish Government Electricity framework was recently extended to 31 March 2027. There are options to extend for a further 2 x 12 month periods (1+1), meaning the maximum end date will be 31 March 2029.
5. The Scottish Government Gas framework end date is 31 March 2027 with 3 x 1 year possible extensions – potentially making the end date 31 March 2030.
6. The supplier to the Scottish Government electricity framework is ‘EDF Energy Customers Limited’.
7. The supplier to the Scottish Government gas framework is ‘TotalEnergies Gas and Power Ltd’.
8. The Scottish Government electricity framework is ‘flexible’.
9. The electricity framework is ‘flexible’. However, the framework wholesale rate is fixed annually for the period 01 April to 31 March.
10. The unit price for the Traffic Control Centre is 3.9131 p/kWh
11. The gas framework is ‘flexible’. However, the framework wholesale rate is fixed annually for the period 01 April to 31 March.
12. For the Traffic Control Centre, there is currently no daily standing charge for electricity, and their gas standing charge per day is £4.50.
13. No brokers or Third party intermediaries were involved in the arrangements.
14. No commission, broker fee or TPI payments have been made. The supply of Gas and Electricity is procured through the Scottish Government’s frameworks.
15. The suppliers who submitted bids for the Scottish Government Gas and Electricity frameworks are as follows: One bid received for electricity; one bid received for Gas.
Metering, MOP, DA & DC Arrangements
Transport Scotland’s Traffic Control Centre has meters where the data is captured automatically by the energy supplier.
For Transport Scotland’s sites at Bothwell Street, Glasgow and Victoria Quay, Edinburgh we have no information available. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption(s) under section 17(1) – Information Not Held of FOISA applies to the questions under this heading.
Transport Scotland does not have the information you have asked for because Transport Scotland’s sites are managed by a third party. The building managers for these sites monitor the meters and provide meter readings to Transport Scotland as required. As such we do not have direct access to the meters and are unable to provide the information you have requested.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested.
Energy Monitoring & Management
1.Yes, Transport Scotland receives quarterly meter readings from the building managers of its offices at 177 Bothwell Street, Glasgow and The Traffic Control Centre, South Queensferry.
2. Gas consumption is monitored and reported in the same way as electricity.
3. Excessive usage would be handled by the building managers who may contact Transport Scotland if it considered a leak or excessive usage required reporting.
4. No, Transport Scotland does not receive any bill validation from a broker, consultant, or software platform.
5. No, Transport Scotland has not undertaken any of its own energy audits, DEC assessments, or ESOS compliance reporting. Transport Scotland electricity and gas data is used to inform our Public Bodies Climate Change Duties Report. I have included further information about this reporting at the end of this letter.
6. Transport Scotland has a responsibility to reduce emissions, support climate adaptation and promote sustainability. We report on this in our Public Bodies Climate Change Duties Report. Please see Annex A for further information.
Water Procurement & Monitoring
1. The Scottish Government Water and Waste Water framework is procured through a competitive tender process governed by a combination of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014.
2. The Scottish Government procures Water and Waste Water billing services through its own competitively procured framework. Details here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/water-and-waste-water-services-framework/
3. The current contract commenced on 01 April 2024.
4. The current contract ends on 31 March 2027. However, there is an optional one year extension potentially taking the expiry date to 31 March 2028.
5. Scottish Water Business Stream Ltd is the framework supplier.
6. The combined water and waste costs per m3, based on the standard 95% return to sewer rate, is £2.30.
7. There was one bidder for the Scottish Government water and waste framework.
8. No brokers or Third Party Intermediaries were used. The requirement was tendered between licensed retail water suppliers.
9. There are optional ancillary services and the list is available at this website: https://www.gov.scot/publications/water-and-waste-water-services-framework/
10. The building managers for Transport Scotland have meters in place which provide meter readings for each site and would be able to detect a leak if present.
Annex A – Transport Scotland Environmental Reporting
Under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (CCA), Transport Scotland has a statutory duty as a public body to reduce emissions, support climate adaptation and promote sustainability. Under the CCA, public bodies must act: a. in the way best calculated to contribute to the delivery of emissions reduction targets b. in the way best calculated to help deliver the Scottish National Adaptation Plan c. in a way that it considers most sustainable
On an annual basis, Transport Scotland must submit a Public Bodies Climate Change Duties Report to report on progress in implementing the climate change duties, demonstrating measurable reductions in emissions, adaptation actions, and sustainable practices. Transport Scotland reports on Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions and has done since 2015.
Annual reports are published on the Sustainable Scotland Network website and can be found here: https://sustainablescotlandnetwork.org/organisation-report/transport-scotland/
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Contact Please quote the FOI reference Central Correspondence Unit Email: contactus@gov.scot Phone: 0300 244 4000 The Scottish Government St Andrew's House Regent Road Edinburgh EH1 3DG
Detected exemption language
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption(s) under section 17(1) – Information Not Held of FOISA applies to the questions under this heading. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested.
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