Consultation outcome

Social Value Act: review

• From: Cabinet Office
• Published: 24 October 2014
• Last updated: 13 February 2015 — See all updates

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

This consultation has concluded

Read the full outcome

Social Value Act review: Lord Young's report

PDF, 717 KB, 48 pages

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Minister for Civil Society Rob Wilson's letter to Lord Young on the Social Value Act review

PDF, 135 KB, 2 pages

Detail of outcome

The review found that the Act is having a positive effect where it is taken up, and that it has clear potential to act as a tool for smarter procurement given the right application. The review also makes recommendations around how to further develop the social value agenda and to move the Act into its next phase of implementation.

In recognition of the positive effect we have seen so far, Lord Young has asked the Minister for the Cabinet Office to prevent the Act’s thresholds from increasing to 750,000 euros for many services when the new Public Contracts Regulations 2015 come into force.

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Original consultation

Summary

Share your views on how the Social Value Act is working, and whether and how it should be extended.

This consultation ran from
24 October 2014 to 5pm on 28 November 2014

Consultation description

On 26 September 2014 the government announced a review of the Social Value Act.

Lord Young, the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Enterprise, is leading the review, supported by Chris White MP, Hazel Blears MP, the Federation of Small Businesses, and Michael O’Toole, chief executive of Mentor UK.

The review is looking at how the act is working and whether it would be beneficial to extend it. It also looks at how the act might be extended in a way that continues to support small businesses and voluntary, charity and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations to bid for public contracts.

The Social Value Act came into force on 31 January 2013. It applies to public services contracts above the EU threshold for the application of EU procurement rules. The act requires commissioners in England and Wales to think about the value they can secure for their area when buying services at the pre-procurement stage:

• how the services they are going to buy might improve the economic, social or environmental well-being of the area
• how they might secure this improvement
• whether they should consult on these issues

Learn more about the Social Value Act.

We want to consider evidence from a wide range of stakeholders. Tell us your views using the online survey or email if you have any questions or to send a written response.

The review will report its findings in early 2015.

Published 24 October 2014
Last updated 13 February 2015 + show all updates

1. 13 February 2015

   Published Lord Young's final report and the Minister for Civil Society's letter.

2. 24 October 2014

   First published.