Study title

The data collection includes interviews with key experts and responses to a survey of procurement officers. In order to gain contextual information on the practice of social procurement in England, Wales and Scotland, 33 expert interviews were conducted with a range of individuals, from commissioning organisations and their representative bodies covering local authorities, housing associations and higher education institutions; policy makers; representatives of construction contractors; framework providers; equality experts with an interest in procurement; procurement and social value consultants and legal experts; and civil society organisations, including trade unions. The interviewees included experts in Scottish, Welsh, English and UK-wide procurement and equality practice. A survey was conducted to establish the extent of the inclusion of employment equality objectives within public procurement, as well as the motivations, processes and outcomes of using social procurement. Responses were received from 109 procurement officers in local authorities, housing associations and higher education institutions, plus some others, across England, Wales and Scotland.Around a third of all public spending is on procuring goods, works and services from the private sector. Therefore the idea of social procurement, or using public spending power to achieve additional social ends through the contracting process, is attractive to policymakers. This could include measures such as requiring a construction firm building a publicly-funded housing project to offer apprenticeships or jobs to local unemployed people. Although the idea of "buying social justice" through public procurement is encouraged by legislation, there is little research on the extent of its adoption or effectiveness, particularly for promoting equality. Therefore those involved in using public procurement to achieve additional equality objectives have little material on which to develop evidence-based...