Sustainable procurement is a process whereby organisations meet their needs for goods, services, works and utilities in a way that achieves value for money on a whole life basis in terms of generating benefits not only to the organisation, but also to society and the local economy, whilst minimising damage to the environment.

Embedding sustainability into procurement can support the objectives of an organisation as set out in relevant policies and strategies and can be adapted to reflect the nature of the contract.

Many sustainability benefits can be achieved through supplier engagement before the procurement process begins which is essential to allow the market to understand and prepare their response to tender requirements.

Also key is the approach to selection of suppliers, the inclusion of relevant and proportionate requirements in the specification, the evaluation of relevant and proportionate award criteria, and an effective contract management process.

Mobilising procurement to deliver local priorities