Communities across Scotland are set to receive a financial boost as 42 public sector organisations benefit from a total rebate of £563,104.

The Scottish Procurement Alliance (SPA) is distributing the funds, generated through its procurement frameworks which are used for construction, refurbishment, and maintenance projects in social housing and public buildings.

This year marks the final cycle of the rebate in its current form. Over the past eight years, the long-running initiative has returned more than £4.8 million to public sector partners. The latest payments, with individual awards ranging from a few hundred pounds to more than £101,000, will be distributed in early September.

Lesley Peaty, Regional Director for SPA, said the rebate programme provides "much-needed relief at a time when every pound matters," especially with communities facing immense pressure from the cost-of-living crisis and rising construction costs. She added that it offers "supplementary funding that can be directed straight back into communities."

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The rebate funding will be used to support a wide variety of causes, from helping vulnerable individuals and funding youth programmes to improving schools, community facilities, and local infrastructure.

On 1 April 2025, the rebate scheme merged with the SPA's Community Benefit Fund to offer partners more flexible and community-focused support. Under the new model, partners will still qualify for funding based on project spend, but rather than receiving a direct financial rebate, the money will be directed to local initiatives aligned with SPA's social value priorities. The first awards under the new scheme will be distributed from April 2026.

Ms Peaty concluded that embedding the rebates within SPA's wider social value strategy creates a "sustainable model that will continue to channel procurement spend into measurable social impact, supporting partners to deliver for their communities long into the future."

Partners benefit from compliant, streamlined procurement processes as well as access to added-value services such as technical and social value consultancy.

For more information on SPA, please visit: www.scottishprocurement.scot/