In recent years, Social Services Europe has been a strong advocate for procurement regulations that enhance, rather than obstruct, the provision of high-quality and affordable social services. The current revision of the EU Public Procurement Directives presents a crucial opportunity to ensure that social services are not treated as mere market commodities but rather as essential services that uphold social value and quality standards.
SSE is part of the Network for Sustainable Development in Public Procurement (NSDPP), a group of social, environmental NGOs and trade union organisations and together sent a letter to the MEPs in the IMCO and EMCO Committee of the European Parliament working on this file with 9 common asks and a urgency to prioritise sustainability, social justice, and transparency in the upcoming revision of the public procurement directives.
Read the full letter here.
SSE Key messages on the need for socially responsible public procurement
Unlike other sectors, social services do not exhibit a significant cross-border procurement dimension. The evidence shows that public procurement in this field largely remains within national borders, meaning internal market considerations should not be prioritised over social objectives.
If national legislation prescribes it the use of public procurement procedures in the field of social services, including in the field of labour market inclusion services, SSE supports the call expressed in the joint letter to use Socially Responsible Public Procurement (SRPP) as "standard procedure". This means:
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Prioritising quality over cost – Public contracts should be awarded based on the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) or Best Price Quality Ratio (BPQR) instead of the lowest price option.
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Ensuring access for social economy actors – This includes mandatory provisions for market reservations (Article 20) and the division into lots (Article 46) to level the playing field for social enterprises.
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Upholding social service quality principles – Public contracts should respect the special regime for social and other specific services (Article 76), emphasising continuity, accessibility, affordability, and user empowerment.
Beyond procurement: the need for legal recognition of alternative models
SSE asks the European Commission to fully recognise alternative models to public procurement, which promote cooperation and a partnership culture between public authorities, social care providers, service users and other stakeholders, such as:
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Authorisation or licensing procedures – Allowing direct partnerships between public authorities and social care providers.
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Reserved markets – Ensuring a portion of contracts are exclusively available for social enterprises and not-for-profits.
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User-led funding models – Like personal budgets, which allow individuals to choose their own service providers.
What is next:
The joint letter was elaborated as a first coordinated input into the ongoing public consultation on the evaluation of the public procurement legislation. The deadline for the call for evidence is 7 March 2025. The EC announced to present in 2026 a proposal for a revised directive.