Free tool
PPN 026 Checker
PPN 026 replaces PPN 002 for central government contracts from 1 January 2027. Three quick questions tell you which model applies to yours.
PPN 026 check
Which social value rules apply to this contract, checked against PPN 002 and PPN 026. Indicative, your tender documents take precedence.
The rules for social value in central government contracts change on 1 January 2027. PPN 026 was published on 5 August 2026 and it replaces the model that has been in place since PPN 002. The weighting goes up, the threshold goes up, and the list of what counts gets a lot shorter.
Answer three questions and you will see which model applies to your contract, what your minimum weighting is, and what has changed.
Central government means a department, an executive agency or a non-departmental public body. Councils, NHS trusts and housing associations are another public body.
Total value over the whole contract, not per year. The value only changes the answer under PPN 026, which is why it is asked last.
Start with the first question and your result appears here.
The 10% is not what most people think it is
This trips up more bid teams than anything else in social value, so it is worth being precise. The minimum weighting is a share of the score, not a share of the money.
Here is the wording from the gov.uk guidance on PPN 002.
“Organisations must apply a minimum 10% weighting (or an equivalent measurement) of the total score, for social value.”
So on a five million pound contract, a 10% weighting does not mean you owe five hundred thousand pounds of social value. It means a tenth of the marks available are for your social value answer. What you actually commit to is up to you, and it is judged against the other bidders rather than against a fixed sum.
Where the confusion comes from is local government. Many councils using the National TOMs framework do set a monetary target, often expressed as a percentage of contract value. Both conventions are real. They are not the same thing, and a bid written as though they are will either overcommit or score badly.
What changes on 1 January 2027
| PPN 002, now | PPN 026, from 1 Jan 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum weighting | 10% of the total score | 10% for contracts £1m to £5m 20% for £5m and above |
| Threshold | Covered, above-threshold procurement under the Procurement Act 2023 | £1m total contract value, including VAT |
| What counts | The Social Value Model, a menu of award criteria across five missions | Two outcomes only. Good Jobs, and Skills |
| Workforce wellbeing | Its own outcome in the model | Not a standalone outcome any more, but named inside Outcome 1 as promoting a healthy workforce and promoting the wellbeing of the contract workforce |
| Environmental and carbon | In the model | Gone. No mention of environment, carbon or net zero anywhere in PPN 026 |
| Domestic abuse reduction | In the model | Gone. No mention anywhere in PPN 026 |
| Applies to | Central government departments, executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies. Other public bodies may adopt it voluntarily. | |
Sources, both gov.uk. PPN 026, The Social Value Model and PPN 002, guide to using the social value model. Detailed guidance on PPN 026 is due in autumn 2026.
If your social value offer leans on wellbeing, read this bit
You will see it written in a few places that wellbeing has been removed from the model. That is not quite right, and the difference matters if you are writing a bid. Wellbeing is no longer a standalone outcome, but it is named twice in PPN 026, both times under Outcome 1.
“Promote the wellbeing of workers in the contract workforce in support of the Government’s Plan to Make Work Pay objectives.”
And under criterion 1b, fair working conditions, the document lists what can count.
“…access to trade union representation, flexible working arrangements, promoting a positive workplace culture, and promoting a healthy workforce and thereby promoting productivity.”
So wellbeing work can still score. What changes is how you have to frame it. Under PPN 002 you could answer a wellbeing question with wellbeing. Under PPN 026 you have to show it as fair working conditions, a healthy workforce and productivity, because that is the criterion it now lives inside. A bid that talks about wellbeing for its own sake will read as though it is answering a question nobody asked.
Four things follow.
- The sub-criteria are not published yet. The document says they will be set out in guidance in autumn 2026. Until then, how generously wellbeing gets scored inside 1b is genuinely unknown, and anyone telling you otherwise is guessing.
- What has actually gone is environmental and domestic abuse. PPN 026 contains no mention of environment, carbon or net zero, and none of domestic abuse. If your social value offer leans on carbon reduction, that is the one to worry about.
- Skills and employment work gets more valuable. Outcome 2 names the target groups, including people not in employment, education or training, care leavers, and people with a long term health condition or disability. If you already run employability or confidence sessions, that work is now one of only two outcomes.
- Local government has not changed. Councils and NHS bodies mostly use the National TOMs, which still carries wellbeing measures outright. If your delivery is with a council, none of this affects you.
Existing contracts carry on. PPN 026 applies to procurements commenced on or after 1 January 2027. What you already promised under PPN 002 still stands and still needs delivering and evidencing.
A note on the transition. Buyers are encouraged to move to the new edition, but they may keep using the previous one during the transition where switching would take disproportionate resources or would invalidate market engagement they have already done. So between now and next year you may well see both models in the market at once. Check the tender documents rather than assuming.
Common questions
Is PPN 06/20 still valid?
No. PPN 06/20 was the original social value note from 2020 and it was replaced by PPN 002 under the Procurement Act 2023. Most people in the sector still say 06/20 out of habit, which is why you will see it in older guidance and templates. If a document you have been sent refers to 06/20, it predates the current rules.
Does PPN 026 apply to councils?
Not automatically. It binds central government departments, their executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies. Other public bodies may adopt the approach if they want to, and some will. Most councils will carry on with the National TOMs or their own local framework.
What happens below one million pounds?
PPN 026 applies to covered procurements at one million pounds total contract value including VAT or above. Below that it does not mandate a weighting. A buyer can still ask for social value if they choose to, so read the tender rather than assuming there is none.
Does workforce wellbeing still count under PPN 026?
Yes, but not as its own outcome. PPN 026 narrows the model to two outcomes, Good Jobs and Skills, and wellbeing sits inside Outcome 1 rather than standing on its own. The document asks suppliers to promote the wellbeing of workers in the contract workforce, and criterion 1b on fair working conditions explicitly includes promoting a healthy workforce and thereby promoting productivity. So the work still counts. You have to present it as fair working conditions and productivity rather than as wellbeing on its own terms. The sub-criteria are due in autumn 2026, so exactly how it gets scored is not settled yet.
Is social value a legal requirement?
The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 requires public bodies to consider social value in procurement. The PPNs go further for central government by setting a minimum weighting that must be applied. So considering it is the law, and weighting it at 10% or 20% is policy that in-scope organisations must follow.
Work out what your commitments are worth
Once you know which model applies, the next question is usually what your commitments add up to. Our social value calculator prices them against the National TOMs measures and shows the working line by line.
Committing to it is the easy part
We deliver social value as workshops in real workplaces and communities, and hand back an evidence pack your client can report against.
See how we deliver social valueLast checked 17 August 2026. PPN 026 detailed guidance is expected in autumn 2026 and this page will be updated when it lands.