---
title: "Award of ARE/001/26 - Understanding the Small Edible Horticultural Industry in Scotland"
ocid: "ocds-r6ebe6-0000827563"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000827563"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000827563.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000827563.json"
source: "Public Contracts Scotland"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT"
published: "2026-05-18"
---

# Award of ARE/001/26 - Understanding the Small Edible Horticultural Industry in Scotland

Buyer: SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-r6ebe6-0000827563

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## Summary

The Scottish Government, with its headquarters located in Edinburgh, has recently awarded a contract titled "Award of ARE/001/26 - Understanding the Small Edible Horticultural Industry in Scotland" under the services category. The award, finalized on 18th May 2026, engages SAOS Ltd as the supplier to conduct research and development services, specifically tailored towards understanding and enhancing the small-scale edible horticultural industry in Scotland. The project is part of the government's Vision for Agriculture, which aims to boost local food production to meet nutritional needs and increase resilience. The procurement process, categorised under the research and development services and related consultancy services (CPV code 73000000), reached the award stage, and the activity is expected to continue until 12th November 2026, providing a contract valued at GBP 49,917. The process was initiated as a tender and involved two bids, emphasizing competitiveness in procurement.

This tender creates an essential opportunity for businesses in the services sector, specifically those focusing on research and consultancy in agriculture and food production. It provides a unique chance for companies that excel in detailed industry analysis and have experience with small-scale producers to establish themselves as pivotal contributors to the growth of Scotland’s edible horticultural industry. Businesses that can adapt to varied business models and offer solutions to enhance sector diversity and productivity will find themselves in a favourable position to compete. Those already engaging with small producers, or who wish to expand into the Scottish horticultural market, will be particularly well-suited to leverage this opportunity to drive business growth and collaboration within the region's agricultural framework.

## Notice

IntroductionThe Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate of the Scottish Government would like to understand more about the small scale edible horticultural industry in Scotland.Background & ContextThe Vision for Agriculture sets out the Scottish Government's ambitions to produce high quality, nutritious, local food. Although the edible horticultural industry has long been recognised as producing high-quality food, the sector is varied and complex, and we are now seeking a greater understanding of the sector as a whole in order to identify potential gaps in support.Fruit and vegetables are important for nutrition, and are sectors in which Scotland produces less than its requirements. Increased production would therefore be positive, as would a diversity of businesses in this sector to provide resilience. However, it is currently unclear how significant the contribution made by small producers is, or has the potential to be, in terms of volume, affordability, and reliability.The Scottish Government has one dedicated horticultural support scheme, the Fruit and Vegetables Aid scheme. This scheme relies on collaboration with other producers, and has conditions attached which are perceived as not suitable for some of our smaller horticultural producers. The Scottish Government would like to now focus on those smaller producers, who are unlikely to claim for area based payments, to understand their businesses, in order to consider what potential support could be offered.These smaller producers may be selling their produce via a number of ways, including but not exclusive to box schemes, local independent retail, or to hospitality. Any business model should be considered as in scope of this study, providing they meet the definition set out in the next section.The Scottish Government seeks to understand the different business models which small horticulture producers follow. We wish to know what is successful, what causes failure and what contributions they make to Scotland's food supply.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Public Contracts Scotland |
| Latest notice | https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=MAY555991 |
| Notice type | PCS Notice - Quick Quote Award |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Not specified |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 18 May 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 12 Nov 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 18 May 2026 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £49,917 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Not specified |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT |
| Locality | GLASGOW |
| Post town | Glasgow |
| Postcode | G2 8LU |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM3 West Central Scotland |
| ITL 3 | TLM32 Glasgow City |
| Local authority | Glasgow City |
| Electoral ward | Anderston/City/Yorkhill |
| Westminster constituency | Glasgow North |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 2 |
| Supplier names | GC INSIGHT; SAOS |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

## Release History

- 18 May 2026 at 09:24 - Award - PCS Notice - Quick Quote Award - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=MAY555991

## Notice URLs

- http://www.scotland.gov.uk
- https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000827563. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000827563.json.