Public Procurement Reform: Have You Had Your Say Yet?
It’s been a few weeks since the government published its consultation: “Public Procurement: Growing British Industry, Jobs and Skills” - but it’s far from old news.
This proposal could significantly reshape how Social Value is measured, delivered, and rewarded in public tenders across the UK. Every major contract would include at least one mandatory Social Value criterion on jobs, work-related opportunities, or skills combined with at least one publicly reported performance measure to track delivery.
Our take? We support the ambition, but the approach must be:
✅ Flexible (not every contract = jobs + apprenticeships)
✅ Inclusive (so SMEs and charities aren’t frozen out)
✅ Co-designed (with suppliers and cross-sector partners)
We’re particularly watching how “local delivery” is defined.
✅ Done right, it could enable powerful partnerships between councils, suppliers, and community organisations.
❌ Done wrong, it could result in restrictive criteria, disproportionate demands, and a tick-box approach that delivers little real value to communities.
This doesn’t just affect prime contractors. Social Value commitments flow through supply chains, meaning delivery partners, SMEs, VCSEs , and even suppliers-of-suppliers could feel the ripple effects. This reform has the potential to impact a much wider swathe of the business community than ever before.
Some organisations are delivering Social Value without even labelling it that way. If that’s you, your insight matters too.
📣 The consultation is open until 5pm on September 5th.
✍️ Share your views here: https://bit.ly/405jJ6n
Let’s make sure this reform works in practice, not just on paper.
