Scotland Excel’s third generation Engineering and Technical Consultancy Framework is expected to see a spend of around £18m a year. It will go live on March 18 and will be in place for four years.

A total of 31 suppliers - including 11 who are SME or micro businesses - have been awarded onto the framework, which will help councils source a range of specialist services to support construction infrastructure across Scotland.

It will offer councils and associate members quick access to suppliers that have gone through a detailed tender process and are ready to do business in specialist areas including:

• Road and structures
• Transportation and traffic
• Environmental engineering
• Land surveying
• Drainage and flooding
• Geoenvironmental and Geotechnical
• Coastal and maritime
• Master planning
• Project and commercial management

Julie Welsh, director of Scotland Excel, said: “Scottish councils regularly require specialist technical and engineering services in order to plan and implement the wide range of investment projects and improvement works that are delivered within their communities.

“I welcome the launch of our third generation Engineering and Technical Consultancy contract which will give local authorities easy access to a range of suppliers, while also bringing efficiencies for councils. The framework is also good for business as the 31 UK- based suppliers are a mix of micro, small, medium and large businesses.”

All suppliers have pledged to offer local community benefits, based on council spend thresholds, for the lifetime of the framework.

The contract brings estimated savings for councils of around 3.7%, has fixed prices for 12 months, and promotes fair working practices with 30 of the 31 suppliers paying the Real Living Wage.

Julie Welsh added: “Scotland Excel is committed to developing our innovative framework portfolio to evolve with the needs of our member councils and associates. I’m delighted this framework builds on the previous generation by incorporating master planning and coastal and maritime works, while also adopting the latest industry standard contract suite - New Engineering Contract 4.”

The 31 framework suppliers are:

• AECOM Limited, London, large business
• Aird Geomatics Limited, Edinburgh, Micro business
• Amey OW Limited, London, large business
• Arcadis Consulting (UK) Limited, Edinburgh, large business
• Atkins Limited, Surrey, large business
• Capita Property & Infrastructure Limited London, large business
• Currie & Brown UK Limited London, large business
• Fairhurst Glasgow, large business
• Gardiner & Theobald LLP London, large business
• Gavin and Doherty Geosolutions (UK) Limited Edinburgh, Micro business
• Haskoningdhv UK Limited Cambridgeshire, large business
• IBI Group (UK) Limited Manchester, SME
• IKM Consulting Ltd. Falkirk, SME
• Ironside Farrar Limited Edinburgh, SME
• Jacobs U.K. Limited Berkshire, large business
• Jeremy Benn Associates Limited North Yorkshire, large business
• Local Transport Projects Limited East Riding, Yorkshire, SME
• MHB Consultants Ltd Glasgow, SME
• Mott MacDonald Limited London, large business
• Pell Frischmann Consultants Limited London, large business
• Pick Everard Leicestershire, SME
• RPS Consulting Services Limited Oxfordshire, large business
• RSK Environment Limited Glasgow, large business
• SAC Commercial Limited Midlothian, micro business
• Stantec UK Limited Buckinghamshire, large business
• Sweco UK Limited West Yorkshire, large business
• Systra Limited London, large business
• Turner & Townsend Project Management West Yorkshire, large business
• Wallace Stone LLP Glasgow, SME
• Waterman Infrastructure & Environment London, SME
• WSP UK Limited London, large business