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Social value & sustainability, explained

Clear, practical guides to the frameworks, policies, and terms that shape social value and sustainability in UK public procurement.

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The Complete Guide to Social Value & Sustainability in UK Public Procurement

A plain-English map of the laws, policies, frameworks, and sustainability concepts that shape social value in UK public sector contracts.

Social value is the positive impact an organisation creates for society beyond the goods or services it delivers.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals are 17 global objectives addressing poverty, inequality, climate change, and more.

The Social Value Act 2012 requires UK public bodies to consider social, economic, and environmental wellbeing in procurement.

PPN 06/20 requires central government to evaluate social value in all major contracts with a minimum 10% weighting.

TOMs (Themes, Outcomes and Measures) is the UK's leading framework for measuring social value in procurement.

ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance — the three pillars used to assess an organisation's sustainability and ethical impact.

Net zero means balancing greenhouse gas emissions produced with emissions removed from the atmosphere.

Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions categorise an organisation's greenhouse gas footprint.

Social value reporting is the process of measuring, evidencing, and communicating the social, economic, and environmental impact of your activities.

The Procurement Act 2023 is the UK's new public procurement legislation, replacing EU-derived rules.

CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) is the world's leading environmental disclosure system.

PPN 002 is the UK government's updated Social Value Model for central government procurement, aligned to the Procurement Act 2023.