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Our Enterprise Agencies deliver a comprehensive programme of activities to engage with companies and raise awareness of opportunities arising from the energy transition, and of the funding and other support available.

Since April, Scottish Enterprise has delivered two marketing campaigns, with over 500 companies directly targeted and a focus on the north east of Scotland. Two more campaigns will be delivered before the end of this financial year.

This includes raising awareness of the range of financial support mechanisms, such as Research and Development grants, Capital grants, and Regional Selective Assistance grants.

The strategy for the provision of electricity under the national framework agreement was developed and agreed in partnership with the User Intelligence Group (UIG). The UIG consists of representatives from across the public sector and they define the core purpose of the procurement and set out the key deliverables. In this case the core requirement was that the provider should be capable of delivering electricity supply and service to over 300 customers. Continuity of supply is a critical element and taking into account the requirement and the risks associated with supply, the UIG agreed that the framework should be tendered as a single supplier agreement. The energy supplier must have the capacity to supply and service all organisations by providing the ability to prepurchase electricity and also provide a billing service.

If a framework customer wishes to source certified renewable supplies, then they could do this. However any agreement between a customer and an additional supplier would be out-with the framework and its terms.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31111 on 18 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

The Scottish Government has long recognised the need for our communities to benefit from our just energy transition to net zero. This is why we continue to engage with the UK Government to encourage them to explore mandating community benefits for all onshore energy developments, along with plans for transmission infrastructure.

Despite the powers to mandate community benefits being reserved to the UK Government, Scotland has made significant progress with a voluntary approach to community benefits. Supported by our Good Practice Principles, our Community Benefits Register shows that in the past year, over £26m of community benefits have been offered to Scottish communities.

We have noted the latest Energy Transition survey report published by Aberdeen and Grampian Chambers of Commerce. Offshore oil and gas licensing and consenting, as well as the associated fiscal regime, are currently reserved to the UK Government. We continue to call on UK Government to listen carefully to the concerns being expressed by businesses around risks to jobs and investment in the transition.

A decision on exercising the first extension is still to be made, once this decision has been reached then the supplier will be informed.

As set out in our Green Industrial Strategy, the Scottish Government is working with partners across the energy sector to plan for a multi-skilled workforce.

This approach includes enabling skilled offshore oil and gas workers to carry their experience and expertise into different roles, including renewables, as the energy transition progresses. We are also committed to the development of Scotland’s CCUS and Hydrogen sectors, which will protect jobs and utilise existing skills within the workforce as well as developing new opportunities.

Funding from the Just Transition Fund has already been allocated to support industry-led development of an Offshore Energy Skills Passport; to create an advanced manufacturing skills hub in Aberdeen and a pilot scheme with the National Energy Skills Accelerator to determine the skills required for an energy transition.

In addition, the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council is currently taking forward crucial work to map the future skills need for offshore wind development, which will help both industry and the public sector to identify and address future skills and workforce gaps.

We have noted the latest Energy Transition survey report published by Aberdeen and Grampian Chambers of Commerce and the launch of a North Sea Transition Taskforce. We acknowledge the concerns that businesses are raising through the survey, however we also note the difficulty of measuring change at a regional level over short periods of time.

The energy transition presents an opportunity as well as a challenge to our existing energy sector and Scottish Government is committed to realising that opportunity, especially by securing a just transition for the north east. We have already committed significant funding to the region through our Just Transition Fund and our Energy Transition Fund. We will continue to support growth of our world-leading renewables sector and to enable our existing oil and gas sector to transition.

In September, we published our Green Industrial Strategy, which aims to ensure that Scotland gets the maximum possible economic benefit from the opportunities created by the net zero transition. We are taking steps to support businesses to capitalise on these opportunities.

For example, we have committed up to £500 million strategic investment over five years to support market certainty and facilitate the development of the offshore wind sector in Scotland. The Offshore Wind Supply Chain Development Statements process, carefully designed and managed by Crown Estate Scotland, ensures focus is maintained on supply chain capacity and capability to develop and deliver offshore wind projects in Scotland.

Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) presents a particular opportunity for the north east region. The UK Government recently announced £23 billion funding to support Track 1 CCUS clusters over 25 years. We urgently need a similar announcement for Track 2, including the Acorn project; continued UK Government delays are impacting investor, developer and supply chain confidence, and we continue to call for a meaningful update on this.

Yes, Scottish Government is compliant with all procurement regulations.

The electricity framework was advertised openly and fairly in Public Contracts Scotland and therefore the competition was open to all suppliers. It is up to each individual bidder to determine if they meet the requirements of the framework, and if they wish to put forward a bid. At the last procurement opportunity no bids were received from community energy providers.

The National Supply of Electricity Framework does not prohibit customers from using locally produced renewable energy.

If a client wishes to use locally produced renewable energy then they can advise the Scottish Procurement Team and the Supplier. The volumes generated by the locally produced renewable energy provider would no longer be included in the overall framework volumes and the reduced demand will be taken into consideration and future demand will be reshaped accordingly. Any withdrawal of buildings/sites from the framework are subject to the terms and conditions set out in the framework agreement.