New jobs, apprenticeships and work experience opportunities have been created in East Lothian as a direct result of the council’s spending in the region, a report has revealed.
East Lothian Council’s Procurement Report for 2024/25 highlighted six employment contracts, four apprenticeships, and 19 work placements secured due to community benefits obligations in its contracts.
A range of other benefits were also delivered including volunteering hours with local causes, financial donations to schools and charities, and donations to foodbanks.
The report, which was discussed at a meeting of the Council’s Cabinet on Tuesday, 11 November, found that 53 new contracts worth around £169 million were awarded between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 - a 30% increase on the previous reporting year when 41 such contracts were issued.
The council’s total spend for the year was £251m with 67.5% of the contracts awarded to businesses based in East Lothian or the wider City Deal Region. That represents a 14% rise on 2023/24 when the percentage spent with local suppliers was 53.5%.
The study outlined that £90m was spent with small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) while around £22m was spent with third sector bodies.
Widespread benefits
Council Leader Councillor Norman Hampshire said: “I’m delighted this report shows the positive impact our procurement policies had on employment opportunities, particularly for young people.
“As one of the largest buyers of goods and services in the area, we want to make sure that our purchasing power delivers both value for taxpayers and widespread benefits for our communities.
“Our council is investing in a number of significant projects, including three new primary schools and the transformation of the former power station site at Cockenzie, which will create additional avenues to help grow the local economy.”
The report also noted that the council’s use of a national advertising portal (Public Contracts Scotland - PCS) made it easier for SMEs to bid for public contracts through notice alerts. It also enables main contractors to advertise subcontract opportunities, giving suppliers the chance to bid for contracts further down the supply chain. A total of 85 new business opportunities were advertised for the council, and suppliers were awarded 95 public sector contracts through PCS in 2024/25.