Aberdeen tech firm Proactis expands to meet rise in public spending

Public sector procurement specialist Proactis has expanded into new offices in central Aberdeen to support its growth plans in line with rising public spending.

Proactis general manager Debbie Mackenzie cited a buoyant procurement sector. Picture: Richard Frew

The Scots business, which supports buyers and suppliers to streamline how they buy or sell goods and services, has relocated its 52-strong team to an open plan office on Huntly Street. It anticipates that the new premises will foster a collaborative environment.

The move comes as the firm plans to recruit new sales staff to capitalise on the market opportunity created by City Region deals, which have helped to push total annual public sector spending in Scotland to more than £11 billion.

Proactis provides national online procurement portals to the Scottish and Welsh governments. It contributed to a 46 per cent rise in the number of contracts published online via Public

Contract Scotland between 2014 and 2018, delivering upgrades to give more small businesses access to contract opportunities.

The total number of UK contract notices published by Proactis in the first quarter of 2019 rose by 4.3 per cent compared with the previous year, at close to 12,300 notices.

General manager Debbie Mackenzie said: “The procurement sector is particularly buoyant, despite continued uncertainty surrounding Brexit. The various City Region deals are generating contract opportunities in a variety of product and service areas, and ongoing construction projects like the Affordable Housing Supply programme and various upgrades to the road network and NHS estate are keeping public sector construction activity high.

“Our new office is much more fit for purpose and will enable collaborative working which is much more fitting for us as a growing technology company.”