Liquid Fuels
Framework Description
Liquid Fuels is a framework let by the Scottish Government (Scottish Procurement) and made available to APUC member institutions. It covers heating oil, transport fuels and their delivery to university and college sites. Applications for this framework are closed (it is not a DPS), and it ends on 2 April 2027 with no extension option, so a replacement is likely to be procured soon.
Context & Use Case
Estates and facilities teams use it to keep oil-fired heating running, particularly at rural or off-gas-grid sites, and to fuel institution-owned vehicles and machinery. As a national framework, it is shared with other Scottish public bodies, which gives APUC members the buying power of the wider public sector and a single set of terms.
Scope of Services
Heating oil and other standard liquid fuels Transport fuels for institution-operated vehicles and machinery Delivery and logistics to multiple sites
Lots
See framework link
Who Can Apply
Suits fuel distributors with delivery networks across Scotland, including regional firms serving rural and island areas. Applications for this framework are closed and it ends on 2 April 2027 with no extension, so the Scottish Government's re-tender is the next entry point.
Buyer Benefits
Fuel prices move quickly, and a national framework gives institutions an agreed pricing mechanism without negotiating every delivery. Shared use across the Scottish public sector also supports supply resilience in remote areas, where few suppliers can deliver reliably, and avoids each institution running its own fuel tender.
Next Steps
Watch Scottish Procurement's tender notices and APUC's framework page for the replacement procurement, which is likely to be advertised ahead of 2 April 2027. Prepare evidence of delivery coverage, fuel quality controls, emergency supply arrangements and environmental management. Firms that serve only some regions should check whether the replacement uses regional lots.
How Athena Can Help
The re-tender is close, so act now. We start with a framework pipeline review to fix the dates and evidence you need, and prepare the selection and compliance answers.
When the tender opens, our pricing and bid writing team builds responses on delivery reliability and coverage, and models price mechanisms that stay profitable when fuel costs move. Our public sector bid planning covers social value and carbon reduction commitments that public buyers now expect to see.
