Insights

September 2026

PPN 026: Require It in the Specification, Compete on One or Two Criteria

The six criteria ask suppliers for two kinds of thing: better pay and conditions for the people already doing the work, which cost money in every hour of the contract, and a way in for people who are not, which every bidder can offer cheaply. Which kind can separate two real bidders depends on the market. Put the obligations in the specification, and spend the marks on the one or two criteria that can. The second in a series.

August 2026

PPN 026: The Budget Decision Comes Before the Social Value Decision

In labour-dominant services the public sector sets the pay, not the market. On a recompetition the workforce transfers on its existing terms, so an authority scoring pay properly is choosing to spend more money. Nothing published with PPN 026 says where that money comes from. The first in a series.

April 2026

An Employer-Engagement Crisis, Not a Pipeline Crisis

The conversation about construction's skills crisis is largely about supply: how to attract more people into the trades. The data suggests the framing is wrong. The binding constraint is not the willingness of individuals to train. It is the capacity of the construction employer base to host and develop them.

Coming soon

We Don't Have a Social Value Problem. We Have a System Design Problem.

Social value commitments are made in bids, reported in spreadsheets, and rarely delivered in practice. The challenge isn't measurement — it's that these commitments sit outside the core procurement design, unfunded and disconnected from payment. A system design perspective suggests a different route.

Coming soon

The Growth Trap: How Individual Procurement Decisions Shape Sector-Level Outcomes

Each procurement decision is rational on its own terms. Collectively, they can prevent the investment they're trying to create. A system design perspective on construction skills, coordinated accountability, and why the sector needs to think beyond individual contract obligations.

Coming soon

What the Procurement Act 2023 Makes Possible

The shift from MEAT to MAT is more significant than most commissioners have yet explored. An overview of what has genuinely changed, what new approaches are now available, and where the opportunity lies for organisations willing to move first.