Buying Social Justice - 1
"Buying Social Justice" Through Procurement
Out of a total UK construction industry workforce of over 2 million people, only 316,000 of them are women, representing just 14% of the total.
Social procurement is one way that greater workforce equality and diversity could be encouraged in construction.
Learn More
"Buying Social Justice" Through Procurement

Out of a total UK construction industry workforce of over 2 million people, only 316,000 of them are women, representing just 14% of the total.
Social procurement is one way that greater workforce equality and diversity could be encouraged in construction.

Learn More
Buying Social Justice - 2
"Buying Social Justice" Through Procurement
Out of a total UK construction industry workforce of over 2 million people,only 140,000 of them are from an ethnic minority, representing just 7% of the total.
Social procurement is one way that greater workforce equality and diversity could be encouraged in construction.
Learn More
"Buying Social Justice" Through Procurement

Out of a total UK construction industry workforce of over 2 million people,only 140,000 of them are from an ethnic minority, representing just 7% of the total.
Social procurement is one way that greater workforce equality and diversity could be encouraged in construction.

Learn More
Buying Social Justice - 3
"Buying Social Justice" Through Procurement
Women make up 25 percent of architects, 14 per cent of construction project managers and related professionals but only 2 per cent of the skilled trades working in construction.
Social procurement is one way that greater workforce equality and diversity could be encouraged in construction.
Learn More
"Buying Social Justice" Through Procurement

Women make up 25 percent of architects, 14 per cent of construction project managers and related professionals but only 2 per cent of the skilled trades working in construction.
Social procurement is one way that greater workforce equality and diversity could be encouraged in construction.

Learn More
Buying Social Justice - 4
"Buying Social Justice" Through Procurement
Ethnic minorities represent 7 percent of those employed in the skilled trades but only 1 per cent of architects.
Social procurement is one way that greater workforce equality and diversity could be encouraged in construction.
Learn More
"Buying Social Justice" Through Procurement

Ethnic minorities represent 7 percent of those employed in the skilled trades but only 1 per cent of architects.
Social procurement is one way that greater workforce equality and diversity could be encouraged in construction.

Learn More
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"Buying Social Justiceā€ Through Procurement

An Examination of the Use of Public Procurement for Advancing Employment Equality in UK Construction

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Single female construction worker wearing hard hat and high visibility jacket, looking into the distance and holding a clipboard

Research Report & Toolkit

The Buying Social Justice project has produced a toolkit on how to integrate equality, diversity and inclusion into public procurement – available to download here.

Buying social justice through procurement: an equality and diversity toolkit

The findings of the two-year research project investigating the use of public procurement to advance equality in employment in England, Scotland and Wales is also available here.

Buying social justice through procurement: report of project findings

ā€œBuying Social Justiceā€ through procurement: An examination of the use of public procurement for advancing employment equality in UK construction.

The UK public sector spends Ā£284bn a year on purchasing (or procuring) goods, works and services from the private sector. There is growing interest from policymakers in using this public spending power to achieve additional social ends ā€“ known as social procurement.

The construction sector has low numbers of women and ethnic minority workers, and social procurement can be a way of increasing workforce diversity, for example by setting targets for jobs or apprenticeships for members of under-represented groups on a publicly-funded housing project.

This research is supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (grant number ES/V014226).

Project Objectives

To provide new evidence on the use of social procurement by public authorities to advance equality in employment

To compare the use and impact of social procurement in England, Wales and Scotland

To produce guidance on increasing employment equality through social procurement in construction and beyond

To extend the scope of research on equality, diversity and inclusion to include social procurement as a potential lever for change

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Latest News

Sep 04

Winning for workers through procurement ā€“ Buying Social Justice toolkit presented at TUC webinar

The important role that trade unions can play in encouraging the inclusion of equality and diversity considerations in… Read more

Jun 25

Working with trade unions to promote equality, diversity and social justice through public procurement

Members of the Buying Social Justice research team are currently working with the TUC and a number of… Read more

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