Sustainable Procurement

We offer a range of services to help both procurers and suppliers throughout the UK fulfil their sustainable procurement and social value obligations under the terms of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 and the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014.

For procurers

We help procurers find new ways to implement and embed social value into the procurement process and project delivery; improving outcomes, creating additional value, and responding to the changing needs of modern communities, without raising costs.

For suppliers

We help suppliers to the public sector identify ways they can create social value and community benefit method statements which add real value to their tenders and make their bids stand out from their competitors, without impacting on price.

Procurers in Scotland
Procurers in England and Wales
Suppliers

Public sector procurers in Scotland

Community benefit clauses have been standard in Scotland since 2016 and Scottish public sector procurers are working hard to embed these clauses across a wider range of contracts.

Community benefit clauses are still in their infancy and pressures on time and resources mean procurers are sometimes missing opportunities when contracts which could offer community benefits are classified as not suitable. In addition many procurement teams struggle internally with a lack of understanding of community benefits and how they can use them to unlock additional value without raising costs.

We offer a range of services which help procurers solve these and other challenges including:

Helping develop the use of community benefits clauses in your contracts in order to deliver social value which is aligned with the strategic aims and priorities of your organisation and maximises the social and economic impact of major developments.

Reviewing your overall approach to community benefits to ensure that your processes are in line with best practice in the public sector and offer an innovative and market-leading approach.

Reviewing all your contracts and identifying practical additional and innovative benefits which could be generated by the inclusion of community benefit clauses.

Liaising with local charities, community groups and other third sector organisations to generate ideas for specific benefits which could be matched to relevant contracts.

Contract and supplier management to ensure the delivery of community benefits from contractor commitments are realised.

Engaging with SMEs, social enterprises and supported businesses in your area to increase uptake of those bidding for your contracts.

Educating and informing suppliers about your community benefits strategy and the outcomes you are seeking to be delivered.

Targeting your supplier’s corporate social responsibility policies to unlock and focus the value that would be of most benefit to you.

Developing a process which monitors, tracks and manages your community benefits across all your contracts.

Educating and informing your internal clients/other departments about the benefits of including Community Benefit Clauses in their contracts.

Reporting progress, celebrating and promoting successes and advertising the Community Benefits being delivered by your suppliers more widely.

Writing, designing and editing your Annual Procurement Report.

Public sector procurers in England & Wales

The UK Government has signalled its intention to strengthen the Social Value Act but many public sector procurers are still struggling to identify the wider social, economic and environmental benefits that social value could deliver in the context of the procurement process and how these benefits can be incorporated into contracts without driving up overall costs.

We offer subject matter expertise related to social value across an array of different types of contracts which includes:

Advice on the political and legislative context and ways in which social value in procurement can be used to deliver on some of your organisation or region’s key priorities.

Advice on existing best practice; and new ideas and innovative ways you can implement social value throughout your procurement processes, improving outcomes and achieving maximum social, as well as economic value, for the goods and services you are buying.

Advice on how to embed the Social Value Act locally and raise awareness amongst prospective third sector beneficiaries.

Help to expand your internal social value knowledge base; improve awareness and take-up, enhancing the skill sets of existing staff; and embedding social value in the evaluation and decision-making elements of your procurement projects.

Improve your understanding about the additional benefits that can be realised by embedding these clauses into your contracts, and how you can do it without raising costs.

Suppliers to the public sector

With margins tightening public sector suppliers are looking for ways they can add value to their tenders and make their bids stand out from their competitors, without cutting prices. We offer support for suppliers with:

Designing innovative benefits that align with procurers’ strategic priorities and deliver maximum social value in order to earn you a maximum score, add real value and give your bid the winning edge over your competitors.

Writing method statements for tender submissions detailing how you will deliver Community Benefits/Social Value for a particular procurement, scheme or project.

Writing PPN06/20 social value answers from helping you to understand and improve your current social value offer to writing the offer.

Inhouse expertise and support to enable you to deliver community benefits/social value post-award including evaluation and impact measurement.

Diversifying your supply chain; maximising local content and embedding social enterprises, charities and other third sector organisations in your supply chain.

What are the commercial benefits of creating social value?

What sectors do we work in?

Contact us to find out how

we could help you

GETTING IN TOUCH IS EASY!

Our services

Armed Forces Covenant

Practical ways businesses can negate disadvantage and support the Armed Forces community.

corporate social responsibility and CSR strategies

Strategic advice

Corporate responsibility and social value strategies which drive economic growth.

Procurement

Embedding social value and community benefit in the procurement process

Infrastructure projects

Ensuring communities benefit from major infrastructure projects