A national contract designed to help Scottish councils procure specialist engineering consultancy services has been awarded, with an estimated value of £160 million over a four-year period.

The second-generation Engineering and Technical Consultancy Framework, managed by Scotland Excel, officially went live on 22 May 2026. The contract is projected to drive an annual spend of approximately £40 million.

A total of 39 suppliers have secured a place on the framework, 17 of which are classified as micro or SME businesses. The agreement will enable local authorities to source a diverse array of specialist services to underpin construction infrastructure developments throughout Scotland. It provides councils and associate members of Scotland Excel with efficient access to pre-vetted suppliers across several specialist disciplines, including:

• Road and structures

• Transportation and traffic

• Environmental engineering

• Land surveying

• Drainage and flooding

• Geoenvironmental and geotechnical

• Coastal and maritime

• Master planning

• Project and commercial management

Councillor John Shaw, Convener of Scotland Excel, said: "Scottish councils regularly require specialist engineering and technical services in order to plan and implement the wide range of investment projects and improvement works that are delivered within their communities.

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"I welcome the launch of our second generation Engineering and Technical Consultancy contract which will give local authorities quick access to a range of suppliers, while also bringing efficiencies for councils. The framework is also good for business as the 39 UK- based suppliers are a mix of micro, small, medium and large companies."

Throughout the lifetime of the framework, all appointed suppliers have committed to delivering local community benefits, which will be triggered based on specific council expenditure thresholds.

The contract establishes fixed pricing for professional title rates for the first 12 months, alongside a 48-month price fix for salary-banded rates. Furthermore, the framework champions fair working practices, with 38 of the 39 approved suppliers paying the Real Living Wage.

Two significant enhancements have been introduced to strengthen this latest generation of the framework. Firstly, councils have been granted greater flexibility to manage liability at an individual work-order level, moving away from a rigid, framework-wide cap. This change ensures that project risk remains proportionate and properly aligned with local governance requirements.

Secondly, the framework eliminates minimum service thresholds that previously restricted SME involvement, allowing providers to focus solely on their core areas of expertise. This adjustment opens up the market to specialist firms, drives competition, and provides councils with clearer data to select the most appropriate consultant for their needs.

Combined, these structural updates align the new framework with contemporary market expectations and council priorities.

Councillor Shaw added: "Scotland Excel is committed to developing our innovative framework portfolio to evolve with the needs of our member councils and associates. I'm delighted this framework builds on the previous generation by incorporating two key enhancements that give councils greater flexibility over liability decisions and open the framework to a wider range of specialist suppliers."