The figures are highlighted in the council’s Procurement Annual Report, which will be considered by the Enabling and Customer Services Committee on 15 September.
The report shows that the council managed around £321.7 million of procurement expenditure during the year, working with more than 3000 suppliers. Approximately £208.8 million was spent with suppliers across Scotland.
A total of 335 community benefits were delivered through council contracts, including employment and apprenticeship opportunities, work experience, skills development, support for community organisations and environmental projects.
Procurement performance also reached its highest level of contract compliance, with 94.63% of procurement expenditure over £20,000 matched to a compliant contract. More than half of procurement expenditure was delivered through collaborative contracts, while procurement activity generated £3.56 million in procurement savings and a further £1.9 million in non-cashable savings.
The council also received national recognition during the year, winning its first GO Award for Best Net Zero Procurement Initiative for work connected to improvements at Dumfries Ice Bowl. Sustainable Procurement Officer Emma Bowden was also highly commended in the Future Leaders of Procurement category.
Councillor John Campbell, Chair of the Enabling and Customer Services Committee, said:
“Council spending is public money, so we have a responsibility to make every pound work as hard as possible for the people of Dumfries and Galloway.
“It is particularly encouraging to see £84.6 million spent with suppliers based here in our region, alongside community benefits that create opportunities for local people. Good procurement is about getting value for money, but it is also about making sure that where we spend can bring something worthwhile back into our communities.”
The committee will also consider the first procurement performance update for 2026/27, showing that positive activity has continued into the new financial year.
During the first quarter, the council spent £74.3 million on external goods, services and works, including £17.9 million with local suppliers. Thirty-four contracts with a combined value of more than £8 million were awarded and a further 38 community benefits were delivered.
Supplier engagement is also continuing. Following a Meet the Buyer event in Dumfries, engagement with businesses in the west of the region is helping to inform a further event planned for later this year.
Councillor Ben Dashper, Vice-Chair, said:
“We want businesses and organisations in every part of Dumfries and Galloway to feel that council opportunities are open and accessible to them.
“That means getting out into communities, listening to businesses about what would help them engage and making procurement less daunting wherever we can. The results are encouraging, but the important thing now is to keep building on them and make sure the benefits of council spending are felt right across the region.”
The Quarter 1 update shows procurement performance remains positive overall, with officers continuing work to improve performance in areas currently sitting just below the council’s annual targets.
If agreed by the committee, the Procurement Annual Report will be published on the council website and notified to Scottish Ministers in accordance with the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014.