Contract

DED - Commercial Advisor Framework 2

  • Scottish Government

F03: Contract award notice

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-075213

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-04de02

Published 19 November 2025, 1:02pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

Scottish Government

4 Atlantic Quay, 70 York St

Glasgow

G2 8EA

Contact

Jonathan Nicolson

Email

jonathan.nicolson@gov.scot

Telephone

+44 412425466

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UKM - Scotland

Internet address(es)

Main address

http://www.scotland.gov.uk

Buyer's address

https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA10482

one.2) Information about joint procurement

The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Ministry or any other national or federal authority

one.5) Main activity

Economic and financial affairs


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

DED - Commercial Advisor Framework 2

Reference number

758186

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 66171000 - Financial consultancy services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

SCOPE OF REQUIREMENTS

The scope of work will comprise of standard due diligence and financial governance. This is what will be termed ‘core’ work representing ongoing business activities of advice, guidance, reporting, engagement with the business, meetings and costing on a planned, regular programme. The second part relates to cases where we consider that more complex analysis will be required and that appropriate time and rates are proportionate for this activity.

Core Scope

Provision of advisory services as may be required to provide expert strategic, financial and commercial advice in respect of core services:

Advice & guidance

Analysis

Reporting

Work across all sectors of industry

Meetings and costing on a planned regular programme.

Additional Scope

The Scottish Government require the Service Provider to be able to provide all services outlined below across a range of possible intervention, investment or funding structures, including debt, guarantees, grants and equity:

Financial/Commercial due diligence.

Analysis and reports on potential mergers or acquisitions and disposal of assets, Insolvency, restructuring and turnaround advice

Specialist economic and market technical expertise relevant to government

Market analysis of relevant sectors, including those strategic to Scotland

Options Appraisal in line with the principles of HMT Green Book

Evaluation exercises in line with the principles of HMT Magenta Book

Strategic and commercial advice in respect of exit strategies for Scottish Government interventions

Financial Accounting assessments

Company valuations

Counterparty due diligence, addressing financial, commercial and reputational risks

Economic impact assessments

Commercial market operator assessment in support of a wider subsidy control assessment, working with appointed legal advisors and Scottish Government’s Legal Directorate and Subsidy Control Division. This will include appropriate pricing of any financial instruments to be applied to the transaction.

Undertaking a sale and marketing process for existing investments, including marketing the business for sale, engaging with prospective purchasers and negotiating commercial heads of terms

Forensic accounting assessments.

The Scottish Government require the Service Provider to provide all services outlined above for all noted transaction and intervention types. Should the Service Provider require the use of sub-contractor to fulfil the requirements this should be noted in the Tenderer’s Single Procurement Documents (SPD) and Technical response. Further details of the required services are detailed in Annex

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)

Value excluding VAT: £15,000,000

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKM - Scotland

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The aim of the Framework Agreement is to establish a timely, efficient and effective mechanism to conduct a range of due diligence on commercial entities and companies in difficulty to inform decision making.

Due diligence assignments will encompass a wide range of activities including financial analysis, market information and risk assessment to inform the viability of companies facing challenges and assess the likelihood of a successful outcome.

It is envisaged that the appointed Service Providers will be multi-disciplinary agencies or consortia offering a range of integrated professional services including but not limited to: accountancy/financial management, and tax advice, commercial advisory services, restructuring and turnaround specialisms, specialist technical expertise such as economic and market analysis and other considerations including impacts of Subsidy Control (formerly State Aid).

two.2.5) Award criteria

Quality criterion - Name: Methodology / Weighting: 20

Quality criterion - Name: Management and Delivery Team / Weighting: 25

Quality criterion - Name: Value for Money / Weighting: 20

Quality criterion - Name: Tailored Approaches / Weighting: 20

Quality criterion - Name: Community Benefits / Weighting: 5

Quality criterion - Name: Fair Work First / Weighting: 5

Quality criterion - Name: Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery / Weighting: 5

Price - Weighting: 40

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: No

two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds

The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No

two.2.14) Additional information

A maximum of 6 Service Providers will be appointed to the Framework Agreement.


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Open procedure

four.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system

The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement

four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes

four.2) Administrative information

four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure

Notice number: 2025/S 000-028702


Section five. Award of contract

Contract No

758186

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

31 October 2025

five.2.2) Information about tenders

Number of tenders received: 8

Number of tenders received from SMEs: 0

Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: 0

Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 8

Number of tenders received by electronic means: 8

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: Yes

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

Deloitte LLP

2, NEW STREET SQUARE

London

EC4A 3BZ

Telephone

+44 2073030913

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom
The contractor is an SME

No

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

FRP Advisory

Level 2 The Beacon, 176 St Vincent Street

Glasgow

G2 5SG

Telephone

+44 7935708468

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom
The contractor is an SME

No

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

1 Embankment Place

Londond

WC1N 6RH

Telephone

+44 7841568922

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom
The contractor is an SME

No

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

Grant Thornton UK LLP

110 Queen Street

Glasgow

G1 3BX

Telephone

+44 1412230638

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UKM - Scotland
The contractor is an SME

No

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

Interpath Ltd

10 Fleet Place

London

EC4M 7RB

Telephone

+44 1416464282

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UKI31 - Camden and City of London
The contractor is an SME

No

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

Teneo Restructuring Limited

110 West George Street

Glasgow

G2 1PJ

Telephone

+44 1416191604

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom
The contractor is an SME

No

five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)

Total value of the contract/lot: £15,000,000


Section six. Complementary information

six.3) Additional information

The buyer used PCS-Tender to conduct this Invitation to Tender (ITT) exercise. The Project code was 29380. For more information see:

http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343

The Question Scoring Methodology for Award Criteria was included in the invitation to tender as follows:

0 — Unacceptable. Nil or inadequate response. Fails to demonstrate an ability to meet the requirement.

1 — Poor. Response is partially relevant but generally poor. The response addresses some elements of the

requirement but contains insufficient/limited detail or explanation to demonstrate how the requirement will be

fulfilled.

2 — Acceptable. Response is relevant and acceptable. The response addresses a broad understanding of the

requirement but may lack details on how the requirement will be fulfilled in certain areas.

3 — Good. Response is relevant and good. The response is sufficiently detailed to demonstrate a good

understanding and provides details on how the requirements will be fulfilled.

4 — Excellent. Response is completely relevant and excellent overall.

The Framework value is an estimate which may increase or decrease over the Framework Term. Commitment to spend will only be agreed at each call off opportunity. The estimated value of the Framework Agreement in 10 million GPB with the option to extend this value to 15 million GPB. These values are estimates established during the development of the Framework Agreement.

(SC Ref:816269)

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Edinburgh Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace Court

27 Chamber Street

Edinburgh

EH1 1LB

Country

United Kingdom

Internet address

www.scotcourts.gov.uk/the-courts/court-locations/edinburgh-sheriff-court-and-justice-of-the-peace-court