Dr Katherine Sugar
University of Manchester

This project investigates how local authorities and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) understand, operationalise, and navigate emerging procurement expectations linked to social value equity and climate action. It also identifies the challenges that currently limit its transformative potential.

This briefing summarises findings from a Researcher in Residency project which examined how public procurement is being used in practice to advance net zero and just transition objectives. This project is a collaboration between the University of Manchester, Energy Demand Research Centre (EDRC), Connected Places Catapult and Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre (IPEC).

Drawing on a comprehensive literature review and 22 interviews with practitioners across the North of England, the study identifies four interrelated challenges that reduce the transformative potential of procurement:

1. Ambiguity in the concept and operationalisation of ‘social value’
   Definitions, weightings, and reporting practices vary widely across authorities, creating confusion and limiting comparability.
2. Concerns about the authenticity and transformative potential of social value delivery
   Current approaches often emphasise metrics over meaningful local outcomes and struggle to distinguish baseline behaviour from additional value.
3. Uneven local authority capacity and resourcing
   Fiscal pressures constrain the ability of contracting (local) authorities to engage meaningfully with suppliers, despite new legislative expectations to do so.
4. Persistent barriers for SMEs and VCSEs
   Disproportionate administrative requirements, uneven social value criteria, and the growth of specialised consultancies can work against smaller suppliers.

Social value is no longer a ‘nice to have’. It is a core expectation of public procurement. But without a clearer sense of purpose and a more consistent approach, it can be difficult for organisations to know what good really looks like, or how to make social value work in practice.

Explore the full research briefing and view a short animation that highlights the project’s key findings and why they matter.

Public Procurement for a Just Net Zero Transition

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