Hospitality and social value: A unique relationship that is worth protecting

Robert Richardson | 22nd October 2026 | Comment
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"Our profession is one of the most accessible in the world," writes hospitality CEO Robert Richardson

I recently had the pleasure of speaking at Business 2 Business's 40th anniversary reception in Westminster, where our discussion focused on the forthcoming implementation of Procurement Policy Note 026 (PPN 026), and what the Government's strengthened social value requirements could mean for businesses, employment and skills development across the United Kingdom. It was a useful discussion, particularly for hospitality, a profession employing approximately 3.5 million professionals and one which has long played an important role in creating opportunities, developing skills and strengthening communities. Whilst it's hard to argue with the Government's ambition to place greater emphasis on social value within public procurement, I believe we must ask an important question: are we creating a system that genuinely recognises the value businesses deliver, or one that simply rewards those best equipped to demonstrate it? Few would disagree that public money should deliver more than the goods...

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