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The use of social clauses in public procurement

The North East Centre of Excellence (NECE) has undertaken a survey on social clauses in public procurement contracts on behalf of the Office of the Third Sector. The survey sought views on the use of social clauses, their benefits and barriers to their use.

Social clauses in public contracts prioritise social needs in the procurement process – for instance, the need to train or give jobs to the long-term unemployed in the local community.

The aim of the survey was to learn more about the appropriate use of social clauses and spread good practice. The questionnaire aimed to gather experiences, views and knowledge from a variety of perspectives. Responses will support work on creating model template clauses.

Commissioners are best placed at both the local and national level to decide how to factor broader social concerns into funding arrangements. However, they can face difficulties tackling complex social clauses in isolation.

The Office of the Third Sector and NECE wanted views on how to overcome barriers to the use of social clauses, and to work with those who are pioneering the use of social clauses to learn about their experiences and draw together examples of leading practices.

Questions in survey

Questions in the survey included:

• How would you summarise your experience of social clauses?
• What do you consider are the main benefits and problems with social clauses?
• What are the main barriers to the use of social clauses, and what would increase their use?
• What specific outcomes are social clauses particularly well placed to deliver?
• What are the necessary conditions for the successful use of social clauses?

Questions about the project should be directed to the North East Centre of Excellence[External website].

The survey ended on 30 September 2007.