Valid from 01/06/2016
(1)For the purposes of this Act, the sustainable procurement duty is the duty of a contracting authority—
(a)before carrying out a regulated procurement, to consider how in conducting the procurement process it can—
(i)improve the economic, social, and environmental wellbeing of the authority's area,
(ii)facilitate the involvement of small and medium enterprises, third sector bodies and supported businesses in the process, and
(iii)promote innovation, and
(b)in carrying out the procurement, to act with a view to securing such improvements identified as a result of paragraph (a)(i).
(2)The contracting authority must consider under subsection (1) only matters that are relevant to what is proposed to be procured and, in doing so, consider the extent to which it is proportionate in all the circumstances to take those matters into account.
(3)In this section—
“small and medium enterprises” means businesses with not more than 250 employees,
“third sector bodies” means organisations (other than bodies established under an enactment) that exist wholly or mainly to provide benefits for society or the environment.
(4)In this section, references to the wellbeing of the authority's area include, in particular, reducing inequality in the area.