Debate contribution: Procurement: Social Value
Debate contribution by Mr John O'Dowd on .
- MLA
- Mr John O'Dowd
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 12 October 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Procurement: Social Value
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5786236
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Social value and ensuring that we use government spending power to promote it has been a key factor of the procurement policy throughout my time and that of a number of my predecessors. Since February 2025, the revised social value in procurement policy has provided a stronger framework for monitoring and reporting social value outcomes. The Strategic Investment Board recently provided an update on social value outcomes that have been achieved since 2018: over 8,000 people who were long-term unemployed or disadvantaged in the labour market have gained employment; 479 social enterprises have been part of the supply chain; and over 16,000 hours of volunteering, almost 40,000 hours of skills development activities, over 6,000 weeks of work experience, almost 40,000 hours of health and well-being initiatives and over 11,000 hours of environmental initiatives have been achieved. It has been a worthwhile project.
142 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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