Scottish Government faces questions over £294m in APS contracts
The Scottish Government is facing calls to explain why it has awarded nearly £300 million in contracts to a private firm for work critics say civil servants could largely handle. The latest is a £2.7 million contract for schoolbags for Primary One pupils, awarded without a tender, renewing scrutiny of procurement and value for money.
Manchester-based APS Group has received £294 million in Scottish Government contracts since 2014, including almost £100 million for the Baby Box scheme, which it has run since 2017 and delivers to more than 40,000 families a year. It has also received nearly £200 million for printing and related work. The government says using a trusted supplier was the most efficient and cost-effective way to deliver the bags in time for the next school year; APS will assemble them in Scotland, using items sourced from the UK and abroad.
In short
- APS Group has received £294 million in Scottish Government contracts since 2014.
- Its latest deal is £2.7 million for schoolbags, awarded without a tender.
- The government says outsourcing the project is efficient and cost-effective.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The Government can argue that using a supplier with a proven track record was the most reliable and cost-effective way to deliver schoolbags on time, while APS’s Scottish assembly work supports local activity. A single established supplier may also bring practical efficiencies across large, recurring schemes such as Baby Boxes and printing.
The case against
Critics can argue that contracts worth £294 million, including a £2.7 million award without a tender, require strong scrutiny to show that the public is getting value for money. If civil servants or competing suppliers could deliver some of this work as well or better, relying repeatedly on one private firm may reduce competition and make costs harder to assess.
Explained simply
Public bodies buy goods and services through contracts, which may be awarded after a competitive tender or directly to a supplier in certain circumstances. They are expected to consider cost, quality and how well the arrangement meets the public need.
APS Group is a private company based in Manchester that provides printing and related services. Its Scottish Government work has included the Baby Box scheme, which supplies newborn essentials to families, as well as other printing projects.
The questions around these contracts concern how public money is spent and whether work is best handled by a supplier or by civil servants. Schoolbags for Primary One pupils are a newer example of goods being bought through this system, with delivery timing and value for money among the issues raised.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “SNP ministers urged to explain £300m bill… for work civil servants could do themselves”.