FIVE Scottish SMEs have landed a place on a national furniture and furnishings contract, which is expected to be worth around £180 million over four years.
Scotland Excel’s fourth generation Domestic Furniture and Furnishings (DFF) framework went live in June to help councils and housing associations source a range of furniture and furnishings for local households.
The framework aims to give social landlords a ‘quick and efficient’ way to provide furniture and furnishings to people facing housing crisis or emergency, or who need support to establish a home in their communities. It offers the choice of new or quality reuse goods. One of the successful bidders – Circular Communities Scotland – is a community-based network made up of social enterprises that provide reuse furniture.
The four other successful suppliers are CF Services Limited, Spruce Carpets Ltd, The Furnishing Service, and New Two Limited.
Councillor John Shaw, convener of Scotland Excel, said, “I welcome the launch of this framework which is good for business while having social value and sustainability at its core. It helps councils and other social landlords source furniture and furnishings for residents in need of support, from Scottish suppliers who have been through the tender process and are ready to do business.
“It also gives the option to source re-use items – a move that underpins Scotland’s circular economy drive to keep quality goods and materials in use, instead of sending to landfill.
“We anticipate the framework will see a spend of £180m over its four-year term and so the successful bidders who are all Scottish micro, small, or medium sizes companies, now have the opportunity to secure a share of the business.”
