Putting social value at the heart of commissioning

Legislation

Here you can find links to relevant legislation, acts, directives, regulations and bills:

Equality Act 2010

The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society.

It replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single Act, making the law easier to understand and strengthening protection in some situations. It sets out the different ways in which it’s unlawful to treat someone.

Read all of the guidance related to this legislation on the gov.uk website

View the full text of the Act

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

The Public Services (Social Value) Act came into force on 31 January 2013. It requires people who commission public services to think about how they can also secure wider social, economic and environmental benefits.

Before they start the procurement process, commissioners should think about whether the services they are going to buy, or the way they are going to buy them, could secure these benefits for their area or stakeholders.

The Act is a tool to help commissioners get more value for money out of procurement. It also encourages commissioners to talk to their local provider market or community to design better services, often finding new and innovative solutions to difficult problems. 

Read all of the guidance and resources related to this legislation on the gov.uk website

View the full text of the Act

Chapter 3 of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

Localism Act 2011

The Localism Act seeks to give effect to the Government’s ambitions to decentralise power away from Whitehall and back into the hands of local councils, communities and individuals to act on local priorities.

Read all of the Local Government Association’s introduction to the Localism Act

Download a plain English guide to the Localism Act from gov.uk

View the full text of the Act

Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014

The Scottish public sector spends more than £11 billion a year buying goods, services and works.

We aim to ensure that this significant investment is spent in a way that can deliver the most benefit to society.

View all of the procurement tools, guidance and support related to this legislation on the gov.scot website

View the full text of the Act

Download the statutory guidance document published by the Scottish Government

Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015

View all of the procurement tools, guidance and support related to this legislation on the gov.scot website

View the full text of the Act

Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015

The Well-being of Future Generations Act gives us the ambition, permission and legal obligation to improve our social, cultural, environmental and economic well-being.

The Well-being of Future Generations Act requires public bodies in Wales to think about the long-term impact of their decisions, to work better with people, communities and each other, and to prevent persistent problems such as poverty, health inequalities and climate change.

The Act is unique to Wales attracting interest from countries across the world as it offers a huge opportunity to make a long-lasting, positive change to current and future generations.

Read all of the guidance and resources related to this legislation on the website of the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales

View the full text of the Act

EU Public Contracts Directive 2014

Read the full text of the Directive here