The Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015

Electronic catalogues

37.—(1) Where the use of electronic means of communication is required, a contracting authority may require tenders to be presented in the format of an electronic catalogue or to include an electronic catalogue.

(2) Tenders presented in the form of an electronic catalogue may be accompanied by other documents, completing the tender.

(3) Electronic catalogues must be established by the candidates or tenderers with a view to participating in a given procurement procedure in accordance with the technical specifications and format established by the contracting authority.

(4) Electronic catalogues must also comply with the requirements for electronic communication tools set out in regulation 23 (rules applicable to communication) as well as with any additional requirements set by the contracting authority in accordance with that regulation.

(5) Where the presentation of tenders in the form of electronic catalogues is accepted or required, a contracting authority must—

(a) state that to be the case in the contract notice, or in the invitation to confirm interest where a prior information notice is used as a means of calling for competition; and

(b) indicate in the procurement documents all the necessary information pursuant to regulation 23(16) to (20) (rules applicable to communication) concerning the format, the electronic equipment used and the technical connection arrangements and specifications for the catalogue.

(6) Where a framework agreement has been concluded with more than one economic operator following the submission of tenders in the form of electronic catalogues, a contracting authority may provide that the reopening of competition for a specific contract is to take place on the basis of updated catalogues.

(7) Where a contracting authority requires updated catalogues in accordance with paragraph (6), the authority must—

(a) invite tenderers to resubmit their electronic catalogues, adapted to the requirements of the contract in question; or

(b) notify tenderers that the authority intends to collect from the electronic catalogues which have already been submitted the information needed to constitute tenders adapted to the requirements of the contract in question, provided that the use of that method has been indicated in the procurement documents for the framework agreement.

(8) Where a contracting authority reopens competition for a specific contract in accordance with paragraph (7)(b), the authority must—

(a) notify tenderers of the date and time at which the authority intends to collect the information needed to constitute tenders adapted to the requirements of the specific contract in question, and

(b) allow tenderers to refuse such collection of information.

(9) A contracting authority must allow an adequate period of time between the notification referred to in paragraph (8)(a) and the collection of information.

(10) Before awarding the contract, a contracting authority must present the collected information to the tenderer concerned and give the tenderer the opportunity to contest or confirm that the tender thus constituted does not contain any material errors.

(11) A contracting authority may award a contract based on a dynamic purchasing system by requiring that offers for a specific contract are to be presented in the format of an electronic catalogue.

(12) A contracting authority may also award a contract based on a dynamic purchasing system in accordance with paragraphs (7)(b) and (8) to (10) provided that the request for participation in the dynamic purchasing system is accompanied by an electronic catalogue in accordance with the technical specifications and format established by the contracting authority.

(13) For the purpose of paragraph (12), the catalogue must be completed subsequently by the candidates, when they are informed of the contracting authority’s intention to constitute tenders by means of the procedure set out in paragraph (7)(b).