Advancing equality through procurement

Did you know that the public sector equality duty (PSED) applies to commissioning and procurement? The Equality and Human Rights Commission has recently published guidance that explains how public authorities may approach the task of ensuring that they comply with the PSED obligations at different stages of the procurement cycle.

Public authorities spend £236 billion each year on buying goods, works or services from other organisations across every sector. This purchasing power can be used by public authorities as a way to advance equality and, where appropriate, achieve wider social benefits, such as creating training or employment opportunities.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has produced guidance that explains how public authorities may approach the task of ensuring that they comply with the public sector equality duty (PSED) obligations at different stages of the procurement cycle and takes you through equality issues that you may need to consider at each stage.

To download the guidance, click here