Aspire has secured a five-figure deal to provide catering supplies and personal protective equipment to Moray College in Elgin, part of the University of the Highlands and Islands.

The contract comes with the possibility of a two-year extension, and lays the groundwork for further gains in the public sector.

Founded in November 2017, family-owned Aspire provides consumables, plant hire, tools and workwear to the demolition, construction and asbestos sectors. It also has a newly-launched schoolwear division, Aspire Academy.

Its biggest customer to date has been Bathgate-based DEM-Master, a leading provider of demolition, decontamination and site clearance services such as asbestos removal. The success of this relationship has allowed Aspire to achieve rapid growth, with revenues of £1m in its first full year of trading.

Managing director Claire Donnelly, who co-founded the business with her brother and fellow director Marc Cruickshanks, said the Moray College contract will provide a platform to further raise Aspire’s profile.

“There is a great opportunity for us to build up trust and show that we can deliver on the KPIs,” Claire said.

“Getting onto a framework like this is difficult for a small business – there is a lot of work that goes on in the background, and if you get knocked back several times it’s easy to lose the will with public sector contracts.

“But there is no doubt this takes us to the next level, and shows that we are a trusted brand. That gives us a stronger case for the next contract we tender for.”

During the financial year to April 2019, Aspire generated revenues of £1 million, up from £600,000 in the first five months of trading. Like-for-like sales in the latest financial year have doubled, putting the company on course for turnover of £1.5m in the current 12 months.