Social Firms UK

Proactive Procurement' explores how it is possible for local authorities to meet their policy objectives and to achieve service improvements by procurement from social enterprises. This guidance has been commissioned by teh Provide Project of Co-operatives UK and the Social Enterprise East of England Network, through the EQUAL programme. Sections include local authority procurement requirements, European procurement rules, stages of procurement, alternatives to competitive procurement and case studies.

This guide is a sequel to the similar guide for local authorities. It explains: - why the NHS should consider buying goods and services from a social enterprise - what the NHS can do to encourage social enterprises to successfully compete for contracts.

This guide is aimed at local authorities and explains: - why you should consider buying goods and services from a social enterprise - what you can do to encourage social enterprises to successfully compete for contracts.

In January 2006 a new public sector procurement Directive – Article 19 – was introduced. This new provision gives contracting authorities the option to reserve contracts for organisations providing supported employment opportunities to disabled people. The Directive makes these provisions in Article 19 for ‘sheltered workshops’ or through ‘sheltered employment programmes’. The Office of Government Commerce (OGC), in consultation with bodies such as Department of Work and Pensions, Remploy, GMB and Job Centre Plus, interpreted these terms to the ones used in the UK of ‘supported factories and businesses’ which are the ones applied in the Directive in the UK.

This procurement toolkit aims to assist social enterprises across the UK to bid for and win public sector contracts, and was been published as part of the Government's strategy: 'Social Enterprise: A Strategy For Success'. It begins with deciding whether public sector business is for you, looks at finding opportunities and how to prepare bids and deliver contracts. http://www.s-p-i-n.co.uk/assets/dtitoolkitforsocialenterprise.pdf

This document is intended to provoke better thinking about how wellbeing is procured in the public arena. It assesses the difficulties in the UK with achieving social benefits in public procurement; describes various initiatives aimed at dispelling myths about good and bad practice; and speculates as to how the Green Book and other government guidance does not quite hit the mark in this area. It offers three steps towards embedding better value for money through embracing social, economic and environmental benefits with the aim of achieving improved outcomes for places and people in the UK. Mark Cook is a national expert on procurement and a partner at Anthony Collins Solicitors. www.anthonycollins.com/news/anthony-collins-solicitors-provides-fresh-th...