The not-for-profit business has secured a place on the shortlist for The Business Desk Scotland’s Business of the Year Awards 2026, specifically in the Community Impact category.

The awards celebrate organisations that are making a meaningful difference to society while delivering strong organisational performance, with winners set to be announced in June.

Lesley Peaty, regional director of SPA, said: “This recognition reflects the work we have completed over the last nine years to ensure procurement delivers real and meaningful benefits to improve the lives and places for communities across Scotland.

“It is about demonstrating that public sector spend can achieve far more than compliance or cost efficiency, it can be a powerful driver of positive social change when approached in an informed and measured way.

“Our focus has always been on creating impact that is measurable, meaningful and led by the needs of local communities.”

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, SPA operates as a not-for-profit organisation delivering procurement solutions for the public sector while reinvesting surplus funds into community-led initiatives.

Central to this approach is its Community Benefit Fund, launched in 2017, which provides structured investment into projects addressing local challenges across Scotland.

Since its inception, the fund has awarded £1.27 million in grants benefitting 134 projects, supporting more than 42,000 individuals through initiatives focused on wellbeing, employability, digital inclusion and community resilience.

The fund is managed independently by Lintel Trust, ensuring transparency and aligning investment with clearly evidenced local needs.

Lesley added: “What sets our approach apart is the focus on long-term impact rather than short-term intervention.

“We work closely with communities and partners to understand where support is needed most, and to invest in a way that creates stability, resilience and opportunity.

“That approach allows organisations to plan ahead, build capacity and deliver meaningful change for the people they support.”

A key example of this impact can be seen through SPA’s support for community-led projects across Scotland, including initiatives tackling food insecurity and social isolation.

Through sustained funding, these projects have been able to deliver consistent support, helping individuals and families facing increasing financial pressure.

By prioritising locally-led solutions and evidence-based investment, SPA continues to demonstrate how procurement can be used to deliver tangible and lasting community benefit.

For SPA, the nomination represents recognition not only of its organisational growth, but also of its role in shaping how procurement can be used as a force for good.

Changes to the longstanding rebate programme, resulting in it merging with the SPA Community Benefit Fund, reflect SPA’s commitment to widening the opportunity and scope for investment towards more communities. Bringing this focused investment into areas in need, influenced by public sector procurement activity, will be transformative and make a positive difference.

Since the rebate programme was established in 2017, more than £4.8m has been redistributed from public sector use of SPA procurement solutions.

As the company marks its 10th anniversary and looks to the next decade, the focus remains on expanding its reach and continuing to demonstrate the value of embedding social impact into procurement activity.

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony taking place in Glasgow on 18th June 2026.