SMEs invited to bid for baby box contents

Scottish companies have been invited to bid to get their products included in the second year of the universal baby box.

The baby box, introduced last August, goes to every newborn in Scotland and contains a range of essential products and support for new parents.

The first baby boxes of 2018 will begin to be delivered today.

Speaking at a distribution centre in Leith, Minister for Childcare and Early Years Maree Todd said the invitation to tender for Year Two will open in early 2018.

“It feels very special to be packing up baby clothes, thermometers, scratch mittens and other extremely useful items for some of our very first newborns of 2018," she said.

“The baby box demonstrates that as a society we value each and every child born in Scotland and want to give them all an equal start in life.

“Following a very successful first year in 2017, with 77 per cent take-up, more than 22,000 boxes delivered and high parent satisfaction with the contents, we want to continue to build on this in 2018.

“That is why, now the baby box scheme is more fully established, we can start to make improvements to develop the economic as well as the social benefits.

“I very much hope Scottish businesses will embrace the opportunity to bid for the contract to provide some of the contents of Scotland’s baby box next year.”

The cardboard boxes include a fitted mattress and bedding to turn them into temporary cribs as part of a safe sleeping scheme, but it emerged many Scots do not use it as a sleeping space.