Edinburgh-based water retailer Business Stream, a subsidiary of state-owned Scottish Water, said on Monday it has been awarded the Scottish Government Public Sector Procurement Framework for Water and Waste Water Billing services.

The three-year contract worth around £200 million covers Scottish public sector bodies including local authorities, NHS Scotland, Scottish Fire & Rescue, Police Scotland, Scottish Prison Service, universities and colleges and the Scottish Government. 

Business Stream said the deal represents a significant win back for the water company — the contract was won by Anglian Water in 2016.

Business Stream announced recently it is now the second largest water retailer in the UK following its acquisition of Yorkshire Water Business Services and success in securing over £280 million of new contracts since the English market opened in 2017.  

Business Stream CEO Jo Dow said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won back the Scottish Government public sector framework contract.

“We have a strong track record of working with the public sector and over the years have developed a suite of value-added services to meet their needs.

“We are now looking forward to working in partnership with public sector organisations across Scotland, providing our expertise and services to help them save time, money and water.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “This is the third time that this contract has been competed. Following a robust evaluation process, Scottish Water Business Stream Ltd were identified as offering the best balance of quality and price for the public purse.”

Scotland’s non-domestic market opened to competition in April 2008.