Procurement policy issued in bid to boost Armed Forces Covenant uptake

The Crown Commercial Service has issued a procurement policy note on how Government departments can encourage suppliers to sign up to the Armed Forces Covenant.

The policy note, which can be viewed here, applies to all central government departments, their executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies.

It says that departments should include certain text in their invitation to tender documents to encourage suppliers to sign up. 

The Covenant was brought in under the Armed Forces Act 2011 “to recognise that the whole nation has a moral obligation to redress the disadvantages the armed forces community face in comparison to other citizens, and recognise sacrifices made”.

The policy note highlights the Covenant’s two key principles:

• the armed forces community should not face disadvantages when compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services;
• special consideration is appropriate in some cases, “especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved”.

The Covenant seeks for organisations to uphold the principles via a number of further values (set out in an annex to the PPN).

The policy note details how organisations can make a range of written and publicised promises to set out their support to members of the Armed Forces community who work in their business or access their products and services.

“The level of support will depend on the size and nature of the organisation, but typically includes policies that: encourage reserve service; support employment of veterans and service spouses/partners; give the Armed Forces community a fair deal on commercial products and services,” it says.

More than 800 businesses and charities have so far signed an Armed Forces Covenant.