Skills Development Scotland shops London with UffindellWest appointment
Skills Development Scotland (SDS) has come under fire from some within the Scottish Marketing Community after appointing a London agency to a two year contract.
SDS issued a tender to establish an arrangement for the development of a Communications and Engagement Strategy and the delivery programme for internal and extrenal stakeholders with associated services.
According to a spokesperson for SDS, 28 agencies applied to the delivery of the strategy through the Official Journal of the European Union with UffindellWest ultimately winning the contract.
The spokesperson continued: “From this number, five were shortlisted and three agencies were then asked to present. UffindallWest were selected as best candidates following this robust process.”
The contract is understood to be worth £300 thousand over a two year period.
According to the advert, the five key components of the Communications Programme are : Internal Communications, Internal engagement, Customer Exoerience, translating our proposition into a compelling manifesto and associated programme of communication and engagement to support the transformation of our services.
The advert also explains that SDS staff ‘are geographically dispersed, disparate and have varying access to internal communications’.
One Industry Insider commented: “Of anyone that should be looking to use Scottish companies, surely it should be SDS. What does it say for the other companies that applied from within Scotland if a body created to help develop Scottish business then turns around and looks to London?”