What is PPN 06/20?

As of August 2026, new in-scope central government procurements are governed by PPN 002 or PPN 026 at the discretion of the commissioning authority. From January 2027, PPN 026 becomes mandatory. However, many contracts signed before October 2025 are still governed under PPN06/20 and the original 2021 version of the Social Value Model. This article applies to those processes.

PPN06/20 was a landmark in social value’s development. When it came into force in January 2021 – alongside the first Social Value Model – it became mandatory for large swathes of the public sector to give dedicated weight to social value considerations in awarding contracts.

Now, with the Procurement Act 2023 in effect, PPN06/20 is due to be superceded by PPN02 and a new Social Value Model.

However, until October 1 2025 PPN06/20 will continue to play a key part in public procurement:

• It continues to apply to all contracts procurement processes – including frameworks – in progress before 24/2/25, when the Act took effect
• Until October 1, contracting authorities can choose to use the PPN06/20 Model or the PPN02 Model. With four years of guidance and experience around PPN06/20 under procurement professionals’ belts, it’s highly likely they’ll keep using it for as long as possible

So, while PPN06/20 is slated to head off into the sunset later in the year, the explanations and tips in this blog will continue to be valuable for some time to come!

What is PPN 06/20?

A PPN is a Procurement Policy Note issued by the Cabinet Office. PPNs are published regularly to tell people about changes to how the public sector should buy goods and services.

Procurement Policy Note 06/20 (or PPN 06/20 – the 6th PPN issued in 2020) is officially titled ‘Taking Account of Social Value in the Award of Central Government Contracts’.

In the Government’s own words:

“This Procurement Policy Note (PPN) launches a new model to deliver social value through government’s commercial activities. Central government organisations should use this model to take account of the additional social benefits that can be achieved in the delivery of its contracts, using policy outcomes aligned with this government’s priorities.”

What PPN06/20 Does

PPN 06/20 applies to Central Government Departments, their Executive Agencies and Non Departmental Public Bodies (referred to as In-Scope Organisations – subject to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015).

From April 2021, this was extended to include the NHS. A year later, commissioners acting on its behalf were included too.

[1] “In-Scope Organisations must give 10% weighting to social value in all tenders.”

That has been a massive change.

Previously, through the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012, social value had only to be “considered”, but it didn’t have to feature in decision making.

In the years since PPN06/20 came into effect, this change has contributed to a sea change in the way that public money is spent and the way that social value is treated.

PPN06/20 and the Social Value Model

Shortly after PPN 06/20 the government published its counterpart, the Social Value Model. This is a framework of Themes, Policy Objectives, Model Award Criteria (MACs) and sample metrics designed to help organisations plan, track, and report on their social value work in a rigorous way.

For anyone selling into government, understanding what the Model asks for and being able to deliver it is key because it goes a long way to explaining what it is that commissioning authorities need to see to fulfil their PPN06/20 obligations.

But the Social Value Model only goes so far:

• “The sample metrics are examples, not an exhaustive list of what can be counted as social value
• There are no Proxy Values for converting outcomes and metrics into a common currency, that allows very different types of impact to be compared (eg the value of a new apprenticeship versus the value of improved workplace mental health)”

The Impact Evaluation Standard has been designed to close this loop. It elaborates upon the Social Value Model to provide:

• More than 130 carefully-designed, transparent metrics, built directly out of the suggested Policy Objectives, MACs etc
• Extensive Proxy Values derived from HM Treasury Green Book guidance, authoritative primary sources (eg ONS data), and trusted independent research
• Extensive guidance and training on using these metrics and supporting your claims with evidence

What’s Next?

Until 2025, the system set up by PPN06/20 and the Social Value Model barely changed since it took effect at the start of 2021.

The Procurement Act 2023 was the first major shake-up of how social value is handled since then. PPN02 has been designed with the system and definitions introduced in the 2023 Act in mind as well as the different political priorities of the Labour government elected in July 2024 (set out in the National Procurement Policy Statement)

For more on what the Procurement Act and PPN02 say and what their impact will be, read on. Or…