Buying Social Guide

Socially responsible public procurement (SRPP) is about achieving positive social outcomes in public procurement contracts. Procurement affects a large number of people: users of public services, those involved in production and delivery, or staff of the buying organisation. Beyond those directly affected, SRPP has the potential to influence the broader market on both the demand and supply sides. By purchasing wisely, public buyers can promote employment opportunities, up and reskilling of the workforce, decent work, social inclusion, gender equality and non-discrimination, accessibility, design for all, ethical trade, and seek to achieve wider compliance with social standards. For some products, works and services, the impact can be particularly significant, as public purchasers command a large share of the market in sectors such as civil engineering, healthcare and transport.

The purpose of this guidance is to raise public buyers’ awareness of the potential benefits of SRPP and to explain in a practical way the opportunities offered by the EU legal framework. When drafting this Guide, the Commission consulted widely with public buyers to identify good practices and examples of what can be achieved. These examples are featured throughout the text. This Guide has been produced for public buyers, but also in the hope that it inspires others involved in procurement, whether as suppliers or service providers, private buyers, social economy players including social enterprises, or NGOs. The chapters of this guide address all aspects of the procurement process, beyond the tendering procedure itself. They detail how social considerations can be introduced throughout the process, and provide numerous examples from actual practices of public buyers across the EU. In chapters 2 to 5, most sections are followed by a list of “good practices”. These are meant to further facilitate understanding of the text, by summarizing in concrete terms the essential points covered in each section and what public buyers can do in practice if they wish to take a socially responsible approach to the procurement process.