Report to help digital tech businesses tap into public sector

ScotlandIS has compiled a comprehensive study of the public sector that launches ­later this week and aims to boost Scotland's digital technologies industry.

ScotlandIS CEO Polly Purvis flags the study's unprecedented detail. Picture: Lisa Ferguson.

The digital skills body said the public sector is one of the most important vertical markets for the industry, but information about its current size and future developments has to date been “very limited”.

ScotlandIS also said its study gathers and analyses data for current and projected public sector ICT spend north of the Border.

The Public Sector ICT Expenditure in Scotland report was produced in partnership with the Scottish ­Government to help firms “assess market opportunities and take informed investment decisions”.

Polly Purvis, chief executive of ScotlandIS, said: “We conducted this research to respond to demand from members.The report is focused purely on the situation in Scotland with findings at a level of granularity that has not been available before.”

Colin Cook, director of digital at the Scottish Government, said: “I trust that this report will provide tech companies already supplying goods and services to the public ­sector with further guidance on future business opportunities, and provide companies that are new to public sector ­procurement with a better understanding of the ­opportunities that are available”.