Integrating wider social value into commissioning and procurement

The UK has been a leader in embracing social value in public procurement. The 2012 Social Value Act has provided a framework for integrating social value in commissioning and procurement strategies. However, social value has often been narrowly defined as an “add-on” rather than a core contracting requirement.

Recent policy guidance (PPN06/20) has significantly widened the definition of “social value” and that it should be “explicitly evaluated” in all central government procurement. The recent Green Paper on Transforming UK Public Procurement notes that these principles, including sustainability and employment opportunities, must be considered in commissioning and procurement strategies. Social value objectives can now include the number of local jobs a contractor will provide, the care they show the environment in their business practices, or the number of SMEs involved in their wider supply chain.

Delivering these societal benefits should open opportunities for a greater variety of innovative companies to deliver government contracts, creating benefits for local economies and communities, and a more resilient supplier base. But meeting these expectations may require commissioning and procurement to be re-imagined.

Our webinar will discuss the ways of meeting these growing demands.

• What commissioning and procurement strategies are required to deliver social value?
• How can we support innovative suppliers in achieving the outcomes with the most value?
• How can we engage communities as co-creators of innovative solutions?

In this webinar we are inviting experts in social value, public procurement practice, and innovation policy to explore these questions. Audience participation will be encouraged

Challenging Procurement Programme

Connected Places Catapult is the UK Centre of Excellence for Innovation in Mobility, Smart Cities and the Built Environment. It works with local and national government, academia and industry to accelerate the integration of innovations which boost physical, digital and social connectivity in our countries, cities, towns and communities.

CPC launched a new initiative, Challenging Procurement, in 2019. The objectives are to unleash the potential of public procurement to deliver innovative products and services, while engaging innovative providers, especially SMEs. We have been collecting information and engaging experts from across the ecosystem, bringing together place leaders, procurement professionals, commissioners and innovators in local services, to share experiences of public procurement and identify examples of pioneering practice.

CPC has established a dedicated internet forum, and have initiated a monthly webinar series to showcase the potential of public procurement to deliver innovative products and services. The webinar series will also include quarterly roundtable sessions to provide an avenue for exciting innovators to engage and share their experiences.

In May 2020, CPC published our first report, Radical Innovation for Places. The forum discussion was published on our web site.

The Challenging Procurement team also contributes to CPCs international outreach programmes. Recently publishing a review of innovation procurement strategies globally with the UK Government: Public Procurement of Innovation. This report was accompanied by a series of webinars organised by the UK Embassy in Brazil.