US Consults On Social Procurement

The US Government’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has requested submissions on the “methods and leading practices” to assess whether agencies’ policies and actions are meeting the needs of underserved communities and cites procurement as part of their work.

Each agency will be required to lay out a plan for how they plan to overcome barriers to full and equal participation by January 2022.

By January 19, 2022, the head of each agency will develop a plan for addressing any barriers to full and equal participation in programs and procurement opportunities identified in its assessment. Such a plan could include establishing ongoing routines to assess and rectify gaps in full and equal participation in programs and procurement opportunities.

With extensive protocols for advancing the cause of  BAME or veteran-owned businesses, the consultation specifically mentions gender identity, the LGBTQ+ community, rural communities and those affected by persistent poverty and inequality.

OMB is looking for advice on how to create more competition and funds towards underserved businesses, especially in professional services either directly or through the supply chain. They’re looking to achieve these outcomes alongside improved efficiency and benchmarked results. More on the programme can be found here.

The Spend Network team have global expertise in government procurement data, research and analysis. Get in touch if you’d like to discuss our range of data products and services or research capabilities.