News
Cabinet Office restates government’s commitment to social enterprise in commissioning
During the Social Value Summit, held in London on 11th March 2019, the government announced a “shake-up” in the way contracts are allocated, with the intention to:
… make sure they consider their social impact – by looking at areas such as the employment of disabled people, the use of small businesses, the prevention of modern slavery and the protection of the environment.
The move will help deliver the government’s target of a third of contracts going to small and medium-sized businesses by 2022. It will also identify modern slavery risks in the government supply chain and make sure everything the government does, including procurement, works towards the key priorities of protecting the environment and making sure everyone has the opportunity to make the most of their talents.
This is welcome news, even if it seems to be a restatement of previous commitments to similar ideals. The new approach will involve considering such factors as:
- the use of firms of all sizes, including those owned by under-represented groups
- the safety of supply chains – to reduce the risk of modern slavery and cyber security issues
- encouraging firms to employ people from diverse backgrounds, including those with disabilities and from ethnic minorities
- focusing on environmental sustainability to reduce the impacts of climate change
- encouraging firms to prioritise staff training to boost their employees’ long-term employability
In order to “seek feedback from suppliers, public bodies and members of the public”, there’s a twelve-week window of public consultation, the details and documentation for which can be found here — so if you’ve got opinions or expertise in social enterprise, now’s the time to put them forward.