Event Summary
Social value has become a central pillar of UK public procurement. With £434 billion spent annually across the public sector, procurement is a powerful lever for tackling inequality, supporting SMEs, boosting local economies, and strengthening communities. Whether you’re a buyer or a supplier, join Westminster Insight’s Social Value in Procurement Conference to gain expert advice and practical insights to help you embed social value into procurement.
Attend this timely conference to learn how to define, measure, and track social value at every stage of the procurement process – from pre-market engagement through evaluation, award, and performance management. We will explore how to set robust, outcome-focused social value requirements that align with local priorities, and how to avoid tokenistic or unenforceable commitments.
From October 2025, the updated Social Value Model became mandatory for in-scope public sector procurement with a minimum 10% weighting for social value. It requires suppliers to make clear, specific, measurable, and time-bound commitments. Gain an update on guidance such as the Impact Evaluation Standard, PPN 002 and PPN 003, and measurement frameworks like the National TOMs.
Despite significant increases in social value weighting, real-world outcomes frequently fall short of tender stage commitments, with SMEs continuing to secure only around 20% of direct public procurement spend. We will address the persistent gap between social value pledges and delivery, focusing on practical measures to make public contracts more accessible to SMEs and VCSEs.
Hear from a legal expert on emerging issues and case law, and best practice in managing social value risk – including how to challenge underperformance, apply proportionate remedies, and maintain constructive supplier relationships.
Hear how central government, local authorities, public sector organisations, suppliers and VCSEs are delivering jobs, skills, SME engagement, environmental benefits, and community investment through procurement. Learn what enables supplier innovation, supports SME participation, and how digital platforms can streamline social value reporting.
Bringing together legal experts, policymakers, commissioners, and suppliers, gain practical takeaways into what makes social value delivery work in practice. Strengthen your organisation’s ability to deliver credible, measurable, and impactful social value through procurement. Explore future policy developments and government social value strategy in 2026-2027.
Key points
- Social value requirements and best practice implementation
- Reducing risk and staying compliant with the new Social Value Model
- Embedding social value commitments into core business operations
- Creating trackable Social Value metrics in tenders, bids, and contracts
- Setting clear and enforceable Social Value targets and stepping up transparency and reporting
- Shaping social value requirements through early market engagement
- Unlocking SME participation: making social value procurement accessible
- Learning from suppliers delivering real social impact
- Strengthening contract performance and monitoring social value performance throughout the contract
- Effective place-based social value and governance models
- Creating meaningful, long-term social value, moving beyond box-ticking to genuine community impact
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Group discounts
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