The Utilities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016

SUB-SECTION 3 S Special relations (cooperation, affiliated undertakings and joint ventures)

Exclusion: contracts between contracting authorities S

27.—(1) These Regulations do not apply to procurement for the award of a contract—

(a) by a contracting authority to a controlled person;

(b) by a controlled person to a contracting authority which controls that person; or

(c) by a controlled person to another controlled person where both such persons are controlled by the same contracting authority.

(2) For the purpose of this regulation, a person is a “controlled person” where—

(a) the contracting authority exercises over that person control similar to that which it exercises over its own departments;

(b) the person carries out more than 80% of its activities in the performance of tasks entrusted to it by the authority or by other persons controlled by that authority; and

(c) no other person has direct private capital participation in the person with the exception of non-controlling and non-blocking forms of private capital participation required by any enactment, in conformity with the [F1 Retained] Treaties, which do not exert a decisive influence on the person being awarded the contract.

(3) For the purpose of paragraph (2)(a) an authority shall be deemed to exercise control over a person similar to the control that it exercises over its own departments where—

(a) it exercises a decisive influence over the strategic objectives and significant decisions of the person; or

(b) such control is exercised by another person which is itself controlled in the same way by the contracting authority.

(4) These Regulations do not apply to procurement for the award of a contract by a contracting authority to a person which is jointly controlled.

(5) For the purpose of paragraph (4) a person is jointly controlled where—

(a) the contracting authority, jointly with other contracting authorities, exercises over that person control similar to that which the authorities exercise over their own departments;

(b) the person carries out more than 80% of its activities in the performance of tasks entrusted to it by the contracting authorities or by other persons controlled by those authorities; and

(c) no other person has direct private capital participation in the person with the exception of non-controlling and non-blocking forms of private capital participation required by any enactment, in conformity with the [F2 Retained] Treaties, which do not exert a decisive influence on the person being awarded the contract.

(6) For the purpose of paragraph (5)(a) contracting authorities shall be deemed to exercise control over a person similar to the control that they exercise over their own departments where—

(a) the decision making bodies of the person are composed of representatives of all participating contracting authorities;

(b) those contracting authorities jointly exercise a decisive influence over the strategic objectives and significant decisions of the person; and

(c) the person does not pursue any interests which are contrary to those of the contracting authorities.

(7) For the purpose of paragraph (6)(a) individual representatives may represent several or all of the contracting authorities.

(8) These Regulations do not apply to procurement for the award of a contract exclusively between two or more contracting authorities where—

(a) the contract is for the purpose of establishing or implementing co-operation between those contracting authorities with the aim of ensuring that public services they have to perform are provided with a view to achieving objectives they have in common;

(b) the implementation of that co-operation is governed solely by considerations relating to the public interest; and

(c) the contracting authorities perform on the open market less than 20% of the activities concerned by the co-operation.

(9) The percentage of activities referred to in paragraphs (2)(b), (5)(b) and (8)(c), shall be determined by reference to—

(a) the average turnover of the person or, as the case may be, contracting authority for the period of 3 years preceding the date of the proposed contract award; or

(b) an appropriate alternative activity-based measure such as costs incurred by the relevant person or contracting authority with respect to works, supplies and services for such 3 year period.

(10) Where paragraph (11) applies, an alternative credible measurement of activity shall be used and for this purpose use of business projections shall be treated as a credible measure.

(11) This paragraph applies where the turnover or an appropriate activity-based measure is not available for the preceding 3 years or is no longer relevant because of—

(a) the date on which the person or contracting authority was created or commenced activities; or

(b) a reorganisation of its activities.

Textual Amendments

F1 Word in reg. 27(2)(c) inserted (31.12.2020) by The Public Procurement etc. (EU Exit) (Scotland) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.S.I. 2020/468), regs. 1(2), 6(17) (with sch. paras. 1-5)

F2 Word in reg. 27(5)(c) inserted (31.12.2020) by The Public Procurement etc. (EU Exit) (Scotland) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.S.I. 2020/468), regs. 1(2), 6(17) (with sch. paras. 1-5)

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 27 in force at 18.4.2016, see reg. 1(2)

Exclusion: contracts awarded to an affiliated undertaking S

28.—(1) Provided that the conditions in paragraphs (2) to (4) are met, these Regulations do not apply to procurement for the award of a contract—

(a) by a utility to an affiliated undertaking; or

(b) by a joint venture, formed exclusively by a number of utilities for the purpose of carrying out activities described in regulations 8 to 14, to an affiliated undertaking of one of its members.

(2) The conditions are that:—

(a) in respect of service contracts, at least 80% of the average total turnover of the affiliated undertaking over the preceding 3 years, taking into account all services provided by that undertaking, derives from the provision of services to the utility or one or more of the utility’s affiliated undertakings;

(b) in respect of supply contracts, at least 80% of the average total turnover of the affiliated undertaking over the preceding 3 years, taking into account all supplies provided by that undertaking, derives from the provision of supplies to the utility or one or more of the utility’s affiliated undertakings;

(c) in respect of works contracts, at least 80% of the average total turnover of the affiliated undertaking over the preceding 3 years, taking into account all works provided by that undertaking, derives from the provision of works to the utility or one or more of the utility’s affiliated undertakings.

(3) Where the turnover referred to in paragraph (2) is not available for the preceding 3 years because of the date on which an affiliated undertaking was created or commenced activities an alternative credible measurement of turnover shall be used for paragraph (2) and for this purpose use of business projections shall be treated as a credible measure.

(4) Where more than one affiliated undertaking of a utility form an economic group and provide the same or similar works, supplies or services, the percentages referred to in paragraph (2) shall be calculated taking into account the total turnover deriving respectively from the provision of works, supplies or services by those affiliated undertakings.

(5) In this regulation, “affiliated undertaking” means—

(a) [F3 any undertaking the annual accounts of which are consolidated with those of the utility in accordance with the requirements of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006]F4 ; or

(b) in the case of an undertaking which is not subject to that [F5 Part], any undertaking that—

(i) may be, directly or indirectly, subject to a dominant influence by the utility;

(ii) may exercise a dominant influence over the utility; or

(iii) in common with the utility, is subject to the dominant influence of another undertaking by virtue of ownership, financial participation or the rules which govern it.

(6) For the purposes of paragraph (5)(b), a dominant influence has the same meaning as in regulation 4(3) (utilities).

(7) This regulation applies despite the provisions of regulation 27 (exclusions: contracts between contracting authorities).

Textual Amendments

F3 Reg. 28(5)(a) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Public Procurement etc. (EU Exit) (Scotland) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.S.I. 2020/468), regs. 1(2), 6(18)(a) (with sch. paras. 1-5)

F4 2006 c.46.

F5 Word in reg. 28(5)(b) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Public Procurement etc. (EU Exit) (Scotland) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.S.I. 2020/468), regs. 1(2), 6(18)(b) (with sch. paras. 1-5)

Commencement Information

I2 Reg. 28 in force at 18.4.2016, see reg. 1(2)

Exclusion: Contracts awarded to a joint venture or to a utility forming part of a joint venture S

29.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), these Regulations do not apply to procurement for the award of a contract—

(a) by a joint venture, formed exclusively by a number of utilities for the purpose of carrying out activities within the meaning of regulations 8 to 14, to one of those utilities; or

(b) by a utility to such a joint venture of which it forms part.

(2) The joint venture must have been set up in order to carry out the activity concerned over a period of at least 3 years and the instrument setting up the joint venture must stipulate that the utilities which form it will be part of the joint venture for at least the same period.

(3) This regulation applies despite the provisions of regulation 27 (exclusions: contracts between contracting authorities).

Commencement Information

I3 Reg. 29 in force at 18.4.2016, see reg. 1(2)

Notification of information S

F6 30.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F6 Reg. 30 omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Public Procurement etc. (EU Exit) (Scotland) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.S.I. 2020/468), regs. 1(2), 6(19) (with sch. paras. 1-5)