Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what analysis they undertook to assess the material fiscal impact of the updated social value model in the Procurement Policy Note 002, published on 13 February.

Central government uses the same tool for assessing social value that has been used since 2021, where central government buyers select evaluation criteria from the options available in the social value model.

The updates made to the social value model have streamlined the content, aligning it to the government's missions. This ensures social value reinforces policy delivery and does not add additional requirements.

When in scope contracting authorities are choosing evaluation criteria from the model they must ensure the criteria are proportionate and relevant to the contract in question. Suppliers then have the flexibility to choose solutions that suit them. The updated guidance emphasises the importance of pre-market engagement to ensure the criteria selected are appropriate for the contract.