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Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Contracts

Asked by Mike WoodConservativeForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled Answered 8 September 2026UIN 20610

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what social value requirements have been mandated for contracts overseen by the department in the last 12 months.

Answered by Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

In the last 12 months, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has considered the relevance of applying Social Value requirements in procurements delivered within the United Kingdom and, where appropriate, applied the Government's Social Value Model as published by the Cabinet Office. We are developing enhanced central reporting to allow a more comprehensive reporting capability for future.

For contracts delivered overseas, the FCDO considers the relevance of Social Value requirements on a case-by-case basis but does not generally apply them where delivery is outside the United Kingdom and/or where doing so could discriminate against suppliers from treaty states. Many Official Development Assistance contracts are designed to deliver economic, social and environmental benefits as part of their primary purpose.

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