Following the 'Council Tender for Trade' event, held at Gean House, Alloa, in October last year, Clackmannanshire Council has changed their procurement policy and will now be placing all tenders over the value of £10,000 on the public Contracts Scotland portal.

Procurement Manager Derek Barr said: "The feedback from Forth Construction members at the event was overwhelming in that they felt that they were missing out on a number of opportunities because they were not getting to find out about them.

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"I am happy to show that Clackmannanshire Council are not only prepared to listen to local business needs but are also committed to providing a transparent procurement process."

Previously, contracts of under £30,000 had not been advertised on the portal but were given to companies who had previously worked for the Council or were known to them.

Martin Reid of Forth Construction said: "Our members had made it clear to Derek that contracts of £20,000-£30,000 are not only the life blood of many small companies, but in some cases, would be the difference between survival and going to the wall.

"We are delighted that these changes have been implemented and would like to commend Derek and Clackmannanshire Council on making this change. Lets hope that others follow their example."

(GK/JM)