Doing Good With Wood

The Procurement Act 2023 replaces previous EU-based rules with a system aimed at being more accessible and flexible. There’s a stronger emphasis on transparency, with clearer reporting and publication of procurement decisions. This is intended to open up opportunities for a wider range of suppliers, including those which have innovative and socially focused approaches.

Of course the construction sector has long recognised the importance of social value, with many companies already committed to working with social enterprises and delivering positive community outcomes. At Community Wood Recycling we would not have been able to build our network without the support we get at a corporate level and from the people we talk to on a daily basis. We hope that these new policies will help us to build on these partnerships, providing further clarity and structure to sustainability and social responsibility goals.

The latest National Procurement Policy Statement in particular reinforces the government’s focus on social value setting out strategic priorities. Public bodies are encouraged to consider the broader benefits of their procurement choices, including supporting SMEs and VCSEs, promoting sustainability and creating employment opportunities for disadvantaged groups.

Overall the changes introduced by the Procurement Act and the National Procurement Policy Statement align with the government’s five missions, which focus on economic growth, net-zero commitments, public service transformation, community safety and opportunity for all. Procurement plays a vital role in achieving these goals by supporting sustainable business practices, fostering innovation and ensuring public spending delivers real social benefits.

We know that one of the biggest challenges facing the construction industry is the need to expand the workforce and attract new talent. The focus on social value in procurement can play a role to address this by supporting companies to create more opportunities for training, apprenticeships and employment, particularly for those who have faced barriers to work but who have a huge amount to offer.

By working with Community Wood Recycling, our clients have helped Birmingham-based charity JERICHO to provide supported apprenticeships to people like K. K left school with very limited qualifications, and did not have passes in English or Maths. He was identified by the team at JERICHO as being marginalised with challenges in moving into work.

K was offered a Customer Service apprenticeship at JERICHO Wood Shack and supported to gain Maths and English qualifications and to obtain his CSCS card. He became part of the collections team going out to sites, and truly excelled during his time on the van, where he demonstrated a strong work ethic and great interpersonal skills.

Thanks to the solid relationships cultivated with site managers, K secured a job on an HS2 construction site immediately after finishing his apprenticeship. He is now able to build a career and save for the future, with a job in an area with workforce shortages.

Using The Wood Shack for wood waste disposal has not only ensured responsible and efficient use of resources but also provided valuable training which supported individual growth and helped to grow the construction workforce.

The introduction of the Procurement Act and the National Procurement Policy Statement signals a shift towards more responsible and socially conscious procurement. For those working in procurement and contract management, this presents an opportunity to explore new ways of delivering value, balancing cost considerations with environmental and social impact. We hope that working with enterprises like Community Wood Recycling can be a straightforward way to support sustainability and social inclusion goals.

• Flexible process: The frameworks are designed to be more flexible and transparent, giving an advantage to suppliers that understand and adapt to the framework, participate in Preliminary Market Engagement, and provide tenders that meet the specific requirements of each contract.
• Central digital platform: Registering with the enhanced Find a Tender Service (FTS) and the new Supplier Information Service (SIS) will be crucial for maintaining visibility, reducing data entry, and staying aware of new tenders.
• Social value and sustainability: The Act supersedes the requirement of the Social Value Act 2012 to ‘consider’ social value with a requirement to ‘have regard to’ maximising public benefit, raising the status of social value from an extra to a potentially key factor.
• Supporting SMEs and VCSEs: The Act requires contracting authorities to consider barriers facing small and medium enterprises and voluntary, community, and social enterprises, giving them more opportunities to engage. Larger companies can also benefit from this requirement by partnering with these organisations.