The Socially Responsible Procurement Policy seeks to further embed sustainability, fairness, and community impact into the Council’s procurement practices, and to build on the good progress already made in achieving value for money and securing community wellbeing benefits.

Around 50% of the Council’s spend was with Cardiff-based organisations in 2024/25, and 64% with Cardiff Capital region-based organisations, while more than £12m has been committed to delivering community wellbeing benefits including:

·       3,481 weeks of apprenticeships delivered by people within Cardiff Capital region  

·       6,177 hours towards Career Support offered to local economically inactive people within Cardiff  

·       43 new employment roles provided for local people  

·       474 work experience weeks offered to schools or local economically inactive people  

·       6,416 hours towards education sessions offered to schools covering careers, site safety, STEM activities

The new policy, developed by Ardal – the service run by the Council that delivers the collaborative procurement partnership across Cardiff, Monmouthshire, Torfaen and the Vale of Glamorgan Councils, sets out eight socially responsible objectives aligned with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act.

These objectives include reducing carbon emissions, enhancing biodiversity, promoting fair work, supporting local economies, and protecting vulnerable groups. The policy aims to ensure that the Council’s £783 million annual procurement spend on a diverse range of goods, services and works from over 8,000 suppliers and contractors delivers not only value for money but also tangible social, environmental, economic and cultural benefits for Cardiff and the wider region.

The policy, which will be discussed by Cabinet at its next meeting on Thursday July 10, has been shaped by engagement with stakeholders, including suppliers, contractors, and policy leads across the Ardal Councils. It reflects Cardiff’s commitment to its “Stronger, Fairer, Greener” vision and aligns with national legislation such as the Procurement Act 2023 and the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act 2023.

Councillor Chris Weaver, Cabinet Member for Finance, Modernisation and Performance, said: “By embedding socially responsible principles into every stage of our procurement process, we’re ensuring that public spending works harder for our communities, our environment, and our future. It’s about making every pound count—not just economically, but socially and ethically.

“Procurement has a key role to play in accelerating the move to net zero, ensuring fair work and ethical employment throughout our supply chains.  The policy also sets out clear expectations of what we will require from suppliers and contractors who want to do business with us.”

The policy will be implemented through the Council’s Socially Responsible Procurement Strategy and Delivery Plan. Delivery will be monitored and reported in the Council’s annual Procurement Report from 2026.

The Cabinet report will be available here: Agendafor Cabinet on Thursday, 10th July, 2025, 2.00 pm : Cardiff Council