PPN 06/20 has been superseded. It ceased to apply to procurements commencing on or after 24 February 2025. This article is a reference for contracts recorded under it. Velstrian Bid builds every new contract against PPN 026, and a contract already recorded under PPN 06/20 stays readable and exportable and keeps naming PPN 06/20.
The Social Value Model as PPN 06/20 defined it
Procurement Policy Note 06/20 asked central government departments, their executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies to evaluate social value with a minimum 10 percent weighting in tender awards. It structured the model into five national priority themes. A PPN is a Cabinet Office instruction addressed to those bodies rather than law, so PPN 06/20 never bound local authorities, NHS bodies or universities.
The 5 national social value themes under PPN 06/20
| Theme | Focus area | Typical buyer objectives |
|---|---|---|
| Theme 1: Fighting climate change | Environmental sustainability & net zero | Carbon Reduction Plans (now PPN 006), waste minimisation, circular economy commitments and biodiversity protection. |
| Theme 2: Tackling economic inequality | Supply chain resilience & skills | SME and VCSE supply chain spend, local employment, apprenticeships, digital skills training and prompt payment codes. |
| Theme 3: Covid-19 recovery / resilient communities | Community resilience | Physical and mental health support, local community projects, workplace safety and remote collaboration support. |
| Theme 4: Equal opportunity | Fair work & inclusion | Reducing disability employment gap, pay equality, inclusive hiring, modern slavery risk management and fair living wage commitments. |
| Theme 5: Wellbeing | Health & community wellbeing | Staff wellbeing charters, mental health first aiders, community integration and public health partnerships. |
Model Award Criteria (MACs)
A PPN 06/20 tender named one or more Model Award Criteria, for example MAC 1.1 or MAC 2.2, under the theme it belonged to. Velstrian Bid does not map questions to MAC numbers. A contract recorded under PPN 06/20 keeps the theme codes T1 to T5 it was built with.
What Velstrian Bid uses for new contracts
PPN 026, published 5 August 2026, applies to central government procurements commenced on or after 1 January 2027 and valued at 1m GBP or more including VAT. Its model has two outcomes, Good jobs and Skills, across six award criteria. It states a minimum social value weighting of 10% from 1m GBP and 20% from 5m GBP.
Velstrian Bid builds every new contract against PPN 026. In the contract wizard you select the award criteria the contract notice names. Velstrian Bid does not rank the six criteria or choose them for you, because PPN 026 publishes no ordering.
Structuring a high-scoring response
- Method Statement: Explain how you will deliver the commitment during contract performance.
- Quantitative Metrics: Provide exact numbers (e.g. 5 apprenticeships, £50k local supply chain spend, 25% carbon reduction).
- Monitoring & Governance: Name the role responsible for reporting progress to the contract manager.
- Evidence Base: Cite historical delivery data or accredited policies from your Evidence Vault.
Vague intentions score low. Evaluators look for commitments that are contractual, measurable and tied directly to the contract delivery location.