The Utilities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016

Economic operators

35.—(1) A utility must not reject an economic operator solely on the ground that under the law of any part of the United Kingdom it would require to be a natural or legal person if such economic operator is entitled to provide the relevant service under the law of the member State in which that operator is established.

(2) Where paragraph (3) applies, a utility may require an economic operator to state, in its tender or request to participate, the names and relevant professional qualifications of the staff to be responsible for the performance of the contract.

(3) This paragraph applies where an economic operator which is a legal person is seeking the award of—

(a) a works contract;

(b) a supply contract which includes services or siting and installation operations; or

(c) a services contract.

(4) A utility must not require a group of economic operators, including temporary associations, to have a specific legal form in order to be able to submit a tender or a request to participate.

(5) A utility may specify in the procurement documents the method by which a group of economic operators is to meet the requirements for qualification and qualitative selection referred to in regulations 75 to 79.

(6) Any method specified as referred to in paragraph (5) must be justified by objective reasons and must be proportionate.

(7) Any conditions for the performance of a contract by a group of economic operators, which are different from those imposed upon individual participants, must be justified by objective reasons and must be proportionate.

(8) A utility may, if it is necessary for the satisfactory performance of the contract, require a group of economic operators to assume a specific legal form for the purpose of the award of the contract.

(9) In this regulation reference to a “contract” includes reference to a framework agreement, dynamic purchasing system and design contest.