Official UK procurement notice
Libraries Scotland eNewspaper and eMagazine
Authority: Scottish Library and Information Council (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe aim of this tender is to provide a single national eMagazines and eNewpapers service to all thirty-two public library services for access by their members. Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) is seeking a vendor that can supply eMagazines and eNewspapers to all thirty-two public library services.
CPV: Library services · Library software package
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1SLIC has been tasked by the Scottish Government to develop a single digital interface…RenewalPublished value£1,600,000
SLIC has been tasked by the Scottish Government to develop a single digital interface for Scottish Public Libraries along with a national eResources collection to ensure equitable access to information and reading material across the whole of Scotland. The Scottish Government has provided SLIC with an ongoing annual grant to deliver the website, to be known as ‘Libraries Scotland’, and to develop the national eResources collection. This will bring Scottish Public Libraries in line with counterparts in Northern Ireland, Ireland and Wales. SLIC has developed the project with guidance from the Association of Public Libraries in Scotland (APLS) and a steering group made up of representatives from across local authorities and the wider library sector in Scotland. The project is also a strategic aim in Forward: Scotland’s Public Library Strategy 2021-2025 and carried over to Fast Forward: Public Library Strategy Refresh 2026. Additional information: Scotland Excel is acting on behalf of SLIC in the execution of this tender but will not be party to the contract or the management of the contract throughout its lifetime.
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Published sub-criteria (2)
- Technical: 70%
- price: 30%
Published award criteria (2)
- Technical: 70
- Price: 30%
- Suitability
Bidders must meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) international standard or equivalent, with a minimum of level WCAG 2.1 AA. An Accessibility Statement must also be available on the supplier website.
In addition, they must hold Cyber Essentials or equivalent accreditation.
- Price carries 30 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
- Turnover usually expected at this size: about £3,200,000 (twice the annual value).
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula. Turnover is an indicative market norm (≈2× annual value), not a published condition.
Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid
Competition for Library and archive services (CPV 9251), and who usually turns up
Scottish Library and Information Council has too little published record in this market to describe on its own. Published market evidence for the same work stands beside whatever it has. Frameworks and DPS are kept out: they attract a different number of bids. Whole-market view: Library and archive services (CPV 9251) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
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How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Across this market, small firms won 47% of awards with a known supplier size.
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How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Here, local means the winner is registered in the region where that contract was delivered.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Across this market, 42% of winners were registered in the delivery region.
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How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards were announced within 35 days of the bid deadline.
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How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
The market share is a minimum: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Across this market, at least 61% of awarded procurements had no recorded rival.
How many bids did past lots attract?
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How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid5%
2–337%
4–626%
7+32%
How did awards compare with estimates?
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Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Below estimate67%
Within ±2%33%
Above estimate0%
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
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What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1SLIC has been tasked by the Scottish Government to develop a single digital interface…CPV 9251Published estimate£1.6m
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How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative. The bar shows 19 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid5%
2–337%
4–626%
7+32%
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Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
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Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
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Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
No supplier with a record in this category fits this lot yet.
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the match score are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Open for tender
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- No (one-off requirement)
- First published
- 13 Oct 2026, 11:42 BST
- Last source update
- 13 Oct 2026, 11:42 BST
- Award evaluation window
- 13 Nov 2026 – …
- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-096471- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-078663Find a Tender
- Electronic trading
- e-invoicing allowed · electronic ordering · electronic payment
- Performance terms
As stated in the tender document, SLIC Contract Agreement Final
Publisher note: Scotland Excel is acting on behalf of SLIC in the execution of this tender but will not be party to the contract or the management of the contract throughout its lifetime. NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Public Contracts Scotland Web Site at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=845512. The buyer has indicated that it will accept electronic responses to this notice via the Postbox facility. A user guide is available at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/sitehelp/help_guides.aspx. Suppliers are advised to allow adequate time for uploading documents and to dispatch the electronic response well in advance of the closing time to avoid any last minute problems. Community benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see: https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/community-benefits-in-procurement/ A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows: SLIC is committed to securing wider social value through its procurement activities. As this Contract will provide a nationally available digital library service across Scotland, SLIC wishes to secure Community Benefits that support reading, literacy, digital inclusion and the development of public library services. Where reasonably practicable, proposed Community Benefits should benefit multiple participating Affiliates. (SC Ref:845512) Download the ESPD document here: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/ESPD/ESPD_Download.aspx?id=845512
How to participate & submission route
Official notice Submit via Public Contracts Scotland- Requests to participate (first stage)
- —
- Tender submission deadline
- 13 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- —
- Submission channel
- {"electronicSubmission"}
- Accepted languages
- en
- Bids opened
- 13 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
Timeline
13 Oct 2026 → 22 Apr 2027 · 4 dates- Notice published1 day ago13 Oct 2026, 11:42 BST
- Today14 Oct 2026
- Submission deadlinein 30 days13 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Bids openedin 30 days13 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Bids must remain valid untilin 191 days22 Apr 2027, 23:59 BST
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Nothing awarded yet- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- Glasgow Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace CourtReview body
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Economic and financial selection criteria
- Technical selection criteria