Social landlords and procurement organisation collaborated on 258 tasks

HOUSING leaders have renewed an important partnership – after revealing the large successes it has delivered to Scotland’s marketplace for reasonably priced and accessible houses.

Because it was launched in 2018 the partnership has seen Scottish Procurement Alliance (SPA) help and collaborate with the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) serving to its members to ship £258.5m value of tasks.

Now the 2 organisations have agreed to proceed the partnership for one more yr, additional strengthening the connections which have already seen 70 housing associations convey 258 tasks to fruition.

SPA is Scotland’s largest free-to-join procurement organisation. Its frameworks provide an environment friendly and compliant path to marketplace for the development, refurbishment, consultancy and upkeep of social housing and public buildings.

Lesley Anderson, SPA Director, mentioned: “The success of this partnership is constructed on shared values. Each organisations perceive the important significance to Scotland of getting a prepared provide of high-quality, trendy, accessible, and reasonably priced houses for hire.

“We’re proud that our frameworks serve housing associations so properly, enabling them to seek out high quality contractors effectively and compliantly guaranteeing that new houses are constructed, and current housing inventory is maintained and upgraded.

“Past that, we’ve proven an enormous dedication to giving again to the communities the place these housing associations function. Working hand in hand, we will amplify the impression of our particular person efforts and create a extra inclusive, sustainable, and equitable future for communities.”

SPA works with 120 companions, together with councils, blue mild companies, the NHS, and a number of different public sector organisations/our bodies. Nonetheless, it’s notably famend for its work with an in depth vary of social landlords.

As a proud not-for-profit, SPA’s Neighborhood Profit Fund (CBF), sees surpluses invested again into Scottish communities, through its charity companion, Lintel Belief. Since 2017 the CBF has delivered greater than £1.7million of grants and match funding to 102 group teams, charities and causes.

Initiatives have included Vacation Starvation programmes, group gardens, digital and social inclusion, employability initiatives and specialist psychological well being companies. They’ve helped enhance the lives of at the least 19,000 folks whereas delivering social worth of greater than £3.9million.

Sally Thomas, Chief Govt of SFHA, mentioned: “I’m happy to see this partnership renewed as a lot of our members have benefitted from recommendation, coaching, and greatest observe help from SPA, serving to them to efficiently procure important companies.

“For the reason that inception of SFHA’s partnership with SPA in depth work has been undertaken to make the procurement course of easy and accessible for housing associations. Within the context of ever tighter budgets, but a have to ship extra reasonably priced houses, it’s encouraging that SPA’s frameworks might help members discover the fitting contractors and get worth for cash.”

Because the membership physique for Scotland’s housing associations and cooperatives, SFHA’s 137 members symbolize greater than 90% of the sector and its imaginative and prescient is for its members to be central to the nation’s social and financial restoration and renewal.

One other partnership success was the creation of a Procurement Advisory Service, free to SFHA members, guaranteeing higher understanding and implementation of Scottish procurement rules.  It included an enquiry operate, steerage, seminars, workshops, and procurement roadshow occasions, with 90% of Scottish housing associations interacting with it.

The partnership additionally sees SPA sponsoring a variety of SFHA’s showpiece occasions throughout the yr, together with its annual convention. SPA additionally supported supply of quarterly procurement boards for SFHA members.

The 2 organisations additionally share perception about adjustments, tendencies and laws throughout the sector. Crucially, when SFHA is concerned in SPA’s common occasions to benchmark and improve its frameworks.

SPA’s 120 companions cowl a various vary of public sector entities from small cooperatives, regional and nationwide registered social landlords (RSLs), in addition to native authorities. It additionally works with 300 suppliers, largely SMEs, who ship companies to SPA’s companions.