Greenwich Council has officially adopted a new Procurement Strategy for 2026-2031, placing a significant emphasis on securing social value from its £400 million annual spending. The strategy, approved by the Cabinet on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, aims to ensure that procurement activities deliver maximum public benefit, value for money, and measurable social value outcomes for residents.

A conceptual map illustrating the 'Vision' for the area, highlighting key zones of Nature, Culture, Heritage, and Community, with an arrow indicating a progression or connection between them.
A conceptual map illustrating the 'Vision' for the areaSource: Cabinet papers, 18 March 2026

Key aspects of the new strategy include a strengthened, modernised, and legally compliant approach to procurement, aligning with the Procurement Act 2023. This Act, which came into force in February 2025, introduces new duties around transparency, proportionality, conflicts of interest, supplier performance, and contract modification. The strategy aims to strengthen contract management and commercial assurance, improve market engagement, early planning, and risk management, and embed consistent and measurable Social Value outcomes.

Councillor Denise Hyland, Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Social Value, stated, This strategy is our commitment to using public money wisely, fairly, and transparently so that every contract we award delivers real value for our residents. She added, By aligning with the Procurement Act 2023 and reflecting the values of our borough, this strategy provides a clear framework for achieving better outcomes, strengthening partnerships, and building a greener, fairer Greenwich.

Tangible Benefits for Residents

The new procurement strategy aims to translate into tangible benefits for Greenwich residents through various social value commitments. These include:

  • Local employment and skills: Procurement processes will increasingly target opportunities for training, skills development, and employment through contracted suppliers, helping residents build financial resilience and secure good jobs. The Social Value Framework Policy specifically promotes employment, apprenticeships, and training opportunities for residents, particularly priority groups.
  • Community wellbeing and healthier lifestyles: The Social Value Framework encourages suppliers to deliver initiatives that improve wellbeing, promote healthier lifestyles, and strengthen access to preventative services. This can include commitments related to physical activity, mental health support, healthier environments, and inclusive community programmes.
  • Fairness and reduced discrimination: The strategy strengthens equality considerations through clearer commissioning expectations, fairer evaluation methodologies, and improved supplier oversight. The Social Value Framework Policy supports inclusive employment practices, equalities-led community benefits, and ethical supply chain standards.
  • Environmental improvements: Procurement will embed environmental considerations, ensuring suppliers reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency, minimise waste, and use sustainable materials. The Social Value Framework mandates environmental social value commitments that support the borough's carbon reduction and climate resilience objectives.
  • Support for local businesses and VCSEs: The strategy aims to improve accessibility for Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations and local businesses, fostering partnerships that deliver enhanced community support and economic participation.
  • Improved public services: Stronger contract management and supplier oversight will enhance the safety, quality, and timeliness of public services commissioned through procurement, including housing-related services.

An architectural illustration showing a cross-section of a house with various sustainable features, including solar panels, a green roof, and a heat pump.
Sustainable housing featuresSource: Cabinet papers, 18 March 2026

Specific Social Value Outcomes

Greenwich Council aims to achieve measurable social value outcomes for residents through its new Procurement Strategy and Social Value Framework Policy (SVFP). The SVFP supports local jobs, skills, sustainability, equality, and the VCSE sector. Specific outcomes linked to the Council's 20 Missions include:

  • People's health: Suppliers delivering initiatives that improve wellbeing, promote healthier lifestyles, and strengthen access to preventative services.
  • Equality: Strengthening equality considerations through clearer commissioning, fairer evaluation, and improved supplier oversight, supporting inclusive employment practices and equalities-led community benefits.
  • Financial need: Targeting opportunities for training, skills development, and employment through contracted suppliers, helping residents build financial resilience and access advice services.
  • Children and young people: Shaping social value offers to support youth development through enrichment programmes, mentoring, work placements, apprenticeships, and school engagement.
  • Safety: Securing safe, high-quality public services and enhancing community safety initiatives, safeguarding awareness, and early intervention projects.
  • Housing: Commissioning compliant, well-managed housing services and capital works, with social value commitments including community support and tenancy sustainment.
  • Transport: Guiding procurement of transport and active travel services with stronger sustainability requirements, requiring suppliers to use greener fleets and support safer streets.
  • Development: Weaving local benefits like job creation, apprenticeships, community facilities, and environmental improvements into contract design.
  • Neighbourhoods: Investing directly in neighbourhood improvements, community participation, and local initiatives.
  • Climate crisis: Embedding environmental considerations into procurement decisions, ensuring suppliers reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency, minimise waste, and use sustainable materials, mandating environmental social value commitments.
  • Employment: Promoting employment, apprenticeships, and training opportunities for residents, particularly priority groups.
  • Town centres: Strengthening accessibility and attractiveness of town centres through procurement of maintenance, environmental services, business support, and public realm works.
  • Economy: Supporting market engagement, clear tendering processes, and proportional procurement requirements.
  • Voluntary, community and socially motivated sectors: Improving accessibility for VCSE organisations and fostering partnerships.
  • Community listening: Incorporating resident insights, engagement, and co-design where appropriate.
  • Partnerships: Developing structured supplier relationship management and enhanced partnership working.
  • Service design: Commissioning services that reflect resident needs through early engagement and outcome-focused approaches.
  • Organisational resilience: Formalising roles, responsibilities, and governance arrangements to respond proactively to fiscal pressures and market volatility.
  • Efficiency: Modernising processes, improving compliance, and embedding consistent practice to streamline procurement and deliver demonstrable value for money.
  • Workforce: Embedding new training, capability development, and clearer professional standards for officers involved in procurement.

A group of children in sports attire celebrating, juxtaposed with the exterior of Woolwich Works venue.
Children celebratingSource: Cabinet papers, 18 March 2026

Supporting SMEs and VCSEs

The new procurement strategy will support Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations by:

  • Embedding engagement events: Clear supplier guidance and proportionate social value requirements will be embedded within procurement processes.
  • Providing clear and accessible guidance: This will help SMEs and VCSE organisations understand requirements and access opportunities on a fair and equal basis.
  • Simplifying tendering processes where possible.
  • Providing guidance on 'how to do business with the council' to encourage involvement in tenders and improve understanding of requirements.
  • Engaging and communicating regularly with the local supply chain and community sector organisations.
  • Producing an annual pipeline of potential new and replacement tender opportunities to increase visibility of opportunities and how to access them.

Ensuring Transparency and Accountability

The new Procurement Strategy and Social Value Framework Policy establish a strengthened, modernised, and legally compliant approach to procurement that aligns with the requirements of the Procurement Act 2023. The strategy aims to strengthen commercial governance and support consistent compliance with the Procurement Act 2023 across the Council. The Director of Resources will report annually to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the strategy's delivery, including procurement activity, supplier performance and risk, and savings and commercial benefits.

Screenshots of social media posts from the Royal Borough of Greenwich discussing climate change preparedness and a survey.
Social media posts on climate changeSource: Cabinet papers, 18 March 2026

Measurement and Auditing

The delivery of social value will be recorded and reported comprehensively through several processes:

  • Proactis Contract Management software: This system enables officers to monitor and report on all key performance indicators (KPIs), including those for social value. These indicators will be clearly defined in contracts to ensure suppliers deliver the benefits committed to at the tender stage.
  • Match My Project system: This system enables social value activity to be matched to the Council's missions. It connects suppliers with community organisations, offering and requesting help, and provides comprehensive management information. This is particularly useful for smaller contracts where identifying social value at the outset can be challenging, but suppliers are willing and able to provide it.
  • Annual performance reports: Each year, Chief Officers will present an annual performance report on their larger contracts (over £2 million value) to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. This report will cover key procurement outcomes delivered during the financial year, including the performance of contracts against KPIs, which will encompass social value targets.

The strategy will be implemented through a phased rollout across all directorates, supported by a detailed action plan covering policy updates, training, communication, and systems changes. Strategic Procurement Services will deliver a programme of workshops and e-learning modules covering the new requirements of the Procurement Act 2023, changes to roles and responsibilities, and the application of the Social Value Framework Policy.

A council officer discusses a mobile phone with a resident.
Council officer and residentSource: Cabinet papers, 18 March 2026

Annual reporting on the strategy's delivery will be provided to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, including details on procurement activity, supplier performance, savings, and the overall delivery of social value commitments.

Read the full Procurement Strategy 2026-2031 here and the Social Value Framework Policy 2026-2031 here.

For more information on the Cabinet meeting, see the public reports pack.