Tendering for Services Contracts
Stay updated in the rapidly changing tendering environment

The end of 2020 saw the implementation of the Social Value Act 2012 (finally) though the publication of a government guidance document known as a Public Procurement Notice (PPN). This places a number of requirements on all government tendering and acts a guidance for Local Authorities and other public bodies. The effect has been to make providers contribute a number of "social value outcomes" as part of the delivery of each contract. The biggest problem is that these activities cannot be priced into the contract, so are a direct cost to the provider - a kind of "added value on steroids".

Implementation has been uneven across the country varying from use of a very structured approach by one Local Authority, to answering five questions all focused on Social Value  by another, and no reference to Social Value in a tender from Wales.

In its Procurement Green Paper the government admits that change will vary across the country, this is to be expected. Commissioning Officers are being offered training, how far this will help is to be seen. What is clear is that it will be those who fully understand the trajectory of change who will succeed in the short to medium term.

We have been delivering online courses and updates to a group of care providers since September 2020. These organisations are already well on the way to making the key changes they will need to cope with the new demands whilst monitoring news, learning to understand how change will affect service delivery and planning for the future.

In addition to offering courses which consider the changes within service provider organisations, we plan to use this blog to provide regular updates as  more information becomes available..