Preferential treatment for #dpulo (and others) in procurement – good to see

It was great to read this in the Liverpool Echo:

Liverpool council will adopt the pioneering approach when it evaluates bids for contracts.

The aim is to put extra emphasis on using socially responsible contractors and suppliers when procuring the £270m budget for buying in goods and services from third parties.

The council said value for money and the ability of a company to deliver the contract will still be the most important factors.

But additional consideration will now be given to organisations with a smaller gap between the highest and lowest paid staff (pay multiple).

Social enterprises which plough their profits back in to developing the business and firms which can demonstrate clear local benefits will also be favoured.

That is, Liverpool Council has said that it will actively prefer providers that add social value to the city of Liverpool in the way they deliver services.

This is good news. I’ve written a lot about the added value that organisations like DPULOs, mutuals, social enterprises and voluntary sector organisations bring, and it’s great to see a Council formally recognise this in its procurement process.

Way to go, Liverpool. Let’s see lots of your local authority colleagues follow suit!

(If anyone has any other examples of this type of thing, please let me know.)

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