Incorporating Social Considerations Into Public Procurement – December 2018

Incorporating Social Considerations into Public Procurement (facilitating the advancement of strategic procurement such as environmental, sustainability, disability access, training for young or disadvantaged people) – December 2018

The Government is keen to explore the scope for the inclusion of social considerations in public contracts where they are suited to the objective of the contract and would have the greatest impact. The purpose of this Note is to help policy makers and practitioners understand how procurement can be used to facilitate the advancement of existing social policy objectives as well as the wider context and implications of including them in particular procurement projects.

There are a wide range of policy areas which come under the heading of social considerations including: environmental sustainability, disability access, training for young or disadvantaged people. The OGP cannot decide for other contracting authorities or at a whole-of-Government level what social considerations should be included in the frameworks and contracts that it puts in place on their behalf.

However, it can help facilitate the process of incorporating those objectives, once agreed, into planned procurement projects. Circular 20/2019: Promoting the use of Environmental and Social Considerations in Public Procurement was published in October 2019 to promote the wider use of environmental and social considerations in public procurement with specific regard to the Climate Action Plan 2019.