We've been building towards the Procurement Act for some time now, but if we're waiting for miraculous changes, we may be disappointed.

This isn't a gift – it's an opportunity. Who is preparing to make the most of it? And who will carry on as normal?

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Here’s some of what we’ve been told to expect from the Procurement Act:

– Publication of KPIs for contractual commitments
– Increase in requirements around transparency
– A shift from MEAT (Most Economically Advantageous Tender) to MAT (Most Advantageous Tender)
– More opportunities for social enterprises and SMEs to bid for public sector contracts
– A greater focus on social value overall

It all sounds very promising on paper. But if the social value sector is hoping for our prayers to be answered, we might want to have a sense check.

We can’t expect the legislation to do the work for us.

The 2012 Social Value Act has had an undeniable long term impact. But by 2015, only 33% of local authorities had adopted it and a lot of the measures were surface level at best. Will it be different this time? Or is there still a risk that those invested in taking the easy route find a way to carry on as normal?

Like any piece of policy, the Procurement Act is a tool. How it’s used is entirely down to the people who pick it up.

Who is ready to use this tool to make a difference?

Who will leave it in the box, make a few tweaks, and go back to business as usual?

‍We'd love to know your thoughts over on the CHY LinkedIn page!