19 April 2010 | Helen Gilbert
Business Stream, the Scottish non-domestic water supplier, has scooped a £45 million cross-government deal to supply water services to Scotland’s colleges, universities and central government departments.
Under the terms of the three-year contract, the company – a wholly-owned subsidiary of Scottish Water – will help each of the 56 central government agencies and 62 universities and colleges achieve water, cost and environmental efficiencies by supplying bespoke services using a single group pricing structure.
A Business Stream spokesperson said it was too early to say how much the arrangement would save as it would depend on individual users.
Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges (APUC), the body that awarded the contract, said 26 expressions of interest were received during the EU-wide tender. However, only two of the six licensed water retailers in Scotland made formal bids.
Organisations covered by the agreement will also be able to access to a range of additional services from Business Stream, including emergency support and recommendations on how water efficiency can be improved.
Andy Anderson, senior procurement manager at APUC, said: “Water is often forgotten about as part of an organisation’s cost base, but clearly colleges and universities are under pressure to be as efficient as possible, and we’re confident that Business Stream will play an important role in aiding that process over the next three years.”
“Business Stream was able to demonstrate considerable value and we were very impressed by the breadth of expertise and knowledge available.”
