Council to focus on social value of contract bids

Bradford Council wants contractors to help local charities as part of their deals with the authority

Bradford Council plans to overhaul its approach to handing out big contracts to make sure any agreements it strikes will deliver social value for residents.

Last year the authority spent £315m on services including road repairs, construction, IT, waste management and care provision.

Under new proposals, any firm bidding for a council contract worth more than £100,000 will have to show they will help the local community through initiatives such as supporting local charities, providing work experience or planting trees.

A report prepared for a meeting later said the authority wants a system that "simplifies processes and raises expectations, ensuring the council gets more from its local spend".

Previous contractors have provided extra support for communities at no cost to the council through various projects, according to the report for the executive meeting.

Officers highlighted work by supplier Bechtle, which donated 700 laptops, 400 monitors and 300 desktop computers to people without access to IT equipment.

Other firms have contributed to careers workshops, work experience, mentoring, tree-planting and foodbank support, the report said.

Officers said the authority is refreshing its approach to "ensure the council maximises the value and community benefits generated from its spending across the district".

Although the report is focused on how the council buys services, it stressed that the wider purpose behind the changes are to put "community is at the centre of everything that we do" and to create "healthy, thriving, and resilient communities in Bradford District."

A new digital reporting system to track outcomes such as jobs created, CO2 savings, volunteer hours and the proportion of spending kept within the district, is also due to be introduced in March 2026.

The shake-up comes as Bradford Council continues to grapple with a long-running financial crisis that saw it narrowly avoid effective bankruptcy last year.

The authority received £220m in emergency government support, which included permission to sell off buildings and land, and imposed a 9.99% council tax rise in April, the highest in the country, alongside £42m in cuts.

A further 4.99% council tax rise is planned for 2026/27, as the authority struggles with soaring social care costs, inflation and a multimillion-pound overspend in its children's services, which is now run by an independent trust.

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