Social value is changing in 2027. What should creative suppliers prepare?
A new central-government model puts jobs and skills in focus. Check which contracts it covers before changing your bid approach.
Policy published August 2026 · Main application date 1 January 2027
Photo: jacoblund / Envato. Illustrative stock photography.
A change to prepare for
The Cabinet Office published PPN 026 in August 2026. Its new Social Value Model is due to apply to in-scope procurements commencing on or after 1 January 2027. It focuses on jobs, skills and opportunities for communities. This is a forthcoming change, rather than a rule that automatically applies to every tender today.
Cabinet Office: Social Value Model publication (opens in a new tab) · Cabinet Office: PPN 026 Social Value Model (opens in a new tab)
Know whether your tender is covered
The note covers central government departments, their executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies. It applies to covered procurements under the Procurement Act valued at £1 million or more, including VAT, with exclusions. Other public bodies may adopt the approach. For relevant contracts below £5 million, it sets a minimum 10% social-value weighting; at £5 million and above, the minimum is 20%. The note makes a different calculation clear for absolute evaluation methods. Read the tender’s actual scoring instructions.
Cabinet Office: PPN 026 Social Value Model (opens in a new tab)
Our view: make commitments you can deliver
For a creative supplier, the useful preparation is specific. Consider what your team could deliver during the contract: a paid placement, structured mentoring or training linked to the work. Treat those as possible ideas to test against the buyer’s criteria, not a standard promise to paste into every bid.
Give each proposed activity an owner, a delivery date and a realistic cost. A small studio should be able to explain who will supervise a placement while client work continues. If a proposal depends on another organisation, agree the arrangement before offering it.
Check which edition of the model the buyer is using. PPN 026 allows a transition before January, and its publication page says accompanying guidance will follow in autumn 2026. Recheck the official material when you prepare a live bid.
Cabinet Office: PPN 026 Social Value Model (opens in a new tab) · Cabinet Office: Social Value Model publication (opens in a new tab)
General editorial explanation, not legal advice. Tender documents and applicable official guidance take precedence.
Published and checked on 7 October 2026. Wording updated 8 October 2026. Article dates are separate from the dates of events and source data.
