Public Procurement and Property

Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) and PCS-Tender (PCS-T) 

June 24, 2026 by Scottish Procurement No Comments | Category Procurement news, Scottish Procurement

Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) 

Launched in 2008, PCS is a one-stop shop for suppliers to access Scottish public sector contract opportunities.  

All Scottish public sector organisations are required to advertise their regulated procurements with an estimated value of: 

• £50,000+ for goods and services 

• £2 million+ for works. 

So, if there’s a significant opportunity out there, it’s very likely you’ll find it listed on PCS. 

How to search PCS for opportunities 

You don’t need an account to start browsing opportunities. Just head to the ‘Search Notices’ area and start exploring. Buyers include different types of information when they publish a notice, so no two listings are the same, so it’s a good idea to try different combinations of keywords and filters to find notices that you are interested in. 

Read the full guide on PCS detailing how to filter your search and use PCS. 

What is PCS-Tender (PCS-T)? 

PCS-Tender is the national eTendering system funded by the Scottish Government designed to make the tender process smoother for both buyers and suppliers.  

A few useful features include: 

• buyers can use standard templates to create consistent tender documents 

• suppliers can save and reuse responses, which will save time 

• the whole process is secure and streamlined 

How PCS and PCS-T work together 

All opportunities are first advertised on Public Contracts Scotland (PCS). If the Buyer is using PCS-Tender to manage the tender, the Notice on PCS will tell you that you need to submit your response on PCS-Tender. 

So, PCS is where you find opportunities, and PCS-T is often where you respond to them. 

How to get started 

There are plenty of user guides available to help you navigate things step-by-step. PCS-T and includes several user guides and if you would like more information on either platform, please contact pcs-tender@gov.scot. 

Supplier Development Programme (SDP) host online sessions on ‘using PCS – how to find and bid for opportunities’. Keep an eye on SDP’s website event listings where you can register to attend a session.

For further information on public procurement in Scotland please visit www.gov.scot/procurement

Please email enquiries to scottishprocurement@gov.scot

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