29 October 2026 
Ashley Shelbrooke, Procurement Specialist
The Social Value Model: new guidance published yesterday – for information
The Cabinet Office published new guidance for central government contracting authorities to support the new Social Value Model. This follows the publication of Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 026 on 5 August.
This guidance is for commercial practitioners procuring contracts in scope of PPN 026 - the policy that will replace previous PPNs on social value from 1 January 2027. It explains how to use the Social Value Model in all stages of the procurement process. This streamlined Social Value Model provides standardised model questions, evaluation criteria, and metrics for use by all in-scope contracting authorities.
Including social value outcomes in procurement ensures suppliers deliver the good quality jobs, skills, and opportunities needed by communities and those in most need.
From 1 January 2027, the new model must be applied to new, in-scope covered procurements worth £1m or more.
You can read the new guidance here and PPN 026 here.
Abnormally low tenders - new discussion paper published to support implementation of Procurement Act 2023
The Cabinet Office have published a new guide which discusses the provisions within the Procurement Act 2023 that enable a contracting authority to reject a tender on the grounds that the price is abnormally low. Please note: this document is a discussion paper intended to support practitioners in their commercial role and does not constitute policy or legal advice.
You can read the full discussion paper here.
Public Procurement Community of Practice
Upcoming Public Procurement Community of Practice sessions for 2026:
Public sector practitioners can book their place on one of the sessions by registering via the Eventbrite link found on the Public Procurement Community of Practice events page on the Government Commercial College.
If you haven’t already, we encourage you to enrol to the Public Procurement Community of Practice, you can do this by accessing the Government Commercial College. When you enrol, you will be able to see the Cabinet Office Public Procurement Community of Practice content including events, forums, resources and wider materials.
Become a Community Enabler!
Community Enablers are the essential link between the central Public Procurement Community and individual organisations. By championing the community locally, you will ensure that real-world practitioner needs and success stories directly shape our national strategy.
Already an active Community of Practice member? Register as a Community Enabler today to secure your invitation to the Cabinet Office’s upcoming Discovery Session on Wednesday, 25 November.
The Cabinet Office are looking for CoP session speakers for 2027
The team are currently planning their public procurement sessions for 2027, and are actively seeking speakers to cover the topics that matter most to you!
The Cabinet Office are looking for practitioners who are willing to share their real world experiences, recent case studies, or ongoing work with our community of practice. This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your projects, share lessons learned, and exchange valuable insights with fellow procurement professionals.
If you have a topic in mind or would like to discuss being a speaker, the team would love to hear from you. Please reach out to procurementcommunities@cabinetoffice.gov.uk to start the conversation.
