UK Act of Parliament 2012 United Kingdom

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

An Act to require public authorities to have regard to economic, social and environmental well-being in connection with public services contracts; and for connected purposes.

Read the Act on legislation.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)
Enforcement
No single statutory enforcer
Status
Amended (in force with amendments)
Penalty ceiling
Regulated

The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 requires public authorities, when procuring services above threshold, to consider how their procurement might improve the economic, social, and environmental well-being of the relevant area. There is no dedicated enforcement regulator; compliance is monitored through the procurement oversight landscape (Cabinet Office, PRU) but the Act does not vest enforcement powers in any named body. Challenges to non-compliance are pursued through judicial review or procurement challenge in the courts. The Cabinet Office's Social Value Model is guidance rather than binding enforcement.

Does it bind you?

Business-side roles with duties under this instrument.

Plus 1 duty on the regulator, Crown ministers and public bodies — folded into the section list below.

What it requires

Sections creating concrete business duties or carrying penalties, grouped as the instrument is structured. Titles link to the source text — blue means you’re leaving for legislation.gov.uk.

s.001 Contracts of relevant authorities (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Public authorities must consider social value before service procurementCrown / Minister / Government department
3 other provisions — procedural and definitional
s.002 Local authority contracts (opens in a new tab)
s.003 Financial provisions (opens in a new tab)
s.004 Short title, commencement and extent (opens in a new tab)

Help complying

Guvnor’s practical routes through this instrument.

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1 more guide that reference this instrument
Prepare a winning tender response

Duty extraction and severity labels are Guvnor’s analysis of the instrument, not the instrument itself. Always verify against the linked source text.