Dounreay unveils plans to spend £139m in supply chain

25th March 2016

Dounreay held its annual supply chain event this week in the Merlin Cinema, Thurso, with suppliers attending from all over the UK.

The site spent a total of £121 million on 306 contracts in 2014/15; with 102 contracts let for more than £50,000 and 5117 transactional purchases made for less than £3,000.

At the end of 2015/16 quarter three, Dounreay had spent a total of £92 million, with 355 contract comittments, and had let 124 contracts valued at more than £50,000.

Local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are forecast to be awarded contracts to the value of £10.82 million to 96 companies and a total of £27.76 million are awarded to 490 SMEs by the end of 2015/16.

Small and Medium Enterprises are companies which employ fewer than 250 employees and have an annual turnover of less than €50 million per year. Local SMEs are based in Caithness and North Sutherland.

The NDA needs a healthy, vibrant, dynamic and competitive supply chain, and the SME agenda supports that aim and mission. This year, we plan to spend £139M in the supply chain, of which £92M has already been committed (67% of yearly budget).

This next financial year we plan the same ratio of spend into the supply chain (circa 70% of yearly budget) with just a slight reduction in total value.

More than £184 million of contract opportunities are forecast to be let in the next financial year.

A community benefits plan is to included in larger contracts when they are issued for tender.

The aspiration is that by 2020 Caithness and North Sutherland will provide a healthy, economically stable environment for its growing population. Its network of thriving communities will reflect the area's rich heritage and varied landscapes. The area's population will be well-educated, highly-skilled and outward-looking, reinforcing its attractiveness as a place to live, work, invest and visit.