The Utilities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016

Framework Agreements

49.—(1) A utility may conclude a framework agreement, provided that the utility applies the procedures provided for in these Regulations.

(2) The term of a framework agreement must not exceed 8 years, save in exceptional cases duly justified, in particular by the subject of the framework agreement.

(3) A contract based on a framework agreement must be awarded on the basis of objective rules and criteria.

(4) For the purposes of paragraph (3), the objective rules and criteria must—

(a) be set out in the procurement documents for the framework agreement; and

(b) ensure equal treatment of the economic operators who are party to the framework agreement.

(5) The award of a contract referred to in paragraph (3) may include reopening the competition among those economic operators party to the framework agreement as concluded and, if so, a utility must—

(a) set a time limit which is sufficiently long to allow tenders for each specific contract to be submitted; and

(b) award each contract to the tenderer that has submitted the most economically advantageous tender on the basis of the award criteria set out in the specifications of the framework agreement.

(6) A utility must not use a framework agreement improperly or in such a way as to prevent, restrict or distort competition.