Personal Protective Equipment Work & Sports Wear
Framework Description
APUC's Personal Protective Equipment Work & Sports Wear framework (Public Contracts Scotland ref. APR527919) covers PPE, workwear, footwear, lab coats, catering clothing, specialist PPE, sportswear and catering kits. It has 15 lots, most split into Scotland-wide and England, Wales and Northern Ireland versions. Applications for this framework are closed (it is not a DPS), and it runs to 6 August 2027 with an option to extend by 24 months to 6 August 2029. This framework is used by APUC and NWUPC.
Context & Use Case
Estates, laboratory, catering, sports and technical teams use it to clothe and protect staff and students, from cleaners and grounds staff to lab users, chefs and sports teams. The England, Wales and Northern Ireland lots mean institutions outside Scotland can use the framework too, widening the customer base for appointed suppliers.
Scope of Services
Lot 1A/1B - General PPE (Scotland Wide / England, Wales and Northern Ireland) Lot 2A/2B - General Workwear & Footwear Lot 3A/3B - Lab Coats & Dentistry Lot 4A/4B - Catering & Front of House Lot 5A/5B - Specialist PPE Lot 6A/6B - Sports & Fitness Clothing Lot 7A - Catering Kits Lot 8A/8B - One Stop Shop
Lots
Lot 1A - General PPE (Scotland Wide); Lot 1B- General PPE (England, Wales and Northern Ireland); Lot 2A - General Workwear & Footwear (Scotland Wide); Lot 2B - General Workwear & Footwear (England, Wales and Northern Ireland); Lot 3A - Lab Coats & Dentistry (Scotland Wide); Lot 3B - Lab Coats & Dentistry (England, Wales and Northern Ireland); Lot 4A - Catering & Front of House (Scotland Wide); Lot 4B - Catering & Front of House (England, Wales and Northern Ireland); Lot 5A - Specialist PPE (Scotland Wide); Lot 5B - Specialist PPE (England, Wales and Northern Ireland); Lot 6A - Sports & Fitness Clothing (Scotland Wide); Lot 6B - Sports and Fitness Clothing (England, Wales and Northern Ireland); Lot 7A - Catering Kits; Lot 8A - One Stop Shop (Scotland Wide); Lot 8B - One Stop Shop (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)
Who Can Apply
Suits PPE distributors, workwear and footwear suppliers, lab coat and dental clothing specialists, chef-wear firms and sportswear brands, including regional SMEs. Applications for this framework are closed, so suppliers not appointed cannot join until APUC re-tenders it, around August 2027 or 2029 if extended.
Buyer Benefits
Separate lots mean lab coats come from specialists in laboratory and dental clothing, while one-stop-shop lots suit institutions wanting a single supplier. Geographic lots give buyers local service and delivery, and agreed pricing covers the frequent, small orders that make up much of this spend.
Next Steps
Read the Public Contracts Scotland notice (APR527919) to see the lot structure and criteria. Appointed suppliers should look beyond Scotland, as the B lots open up English, Welsh and Northern Irish institutions. Others should check APUC's catalogue for the extension decision and prepare evidence on product standards, sizing, embroidery and sustainable ranges.
How Athena Can Help
Fifteen lots across two geographies make lot choice the first decision. Our lot-by-lot application support matches your range and delivery coverage to the right lots ahead of APUC's re-tender.
For appointed suppliers, our bid team builds win themes on compliance, sizing and sustainability for call-offs. Our tendering advice for SMEs covers pricing and social value that university buyers score. We also run compliance checks so nothing is lost on a technicality, and pricing models that hold margin across a large catalogue of products.
