Procurement policy note 06/16: Armed Forces Covenant · first published 24 June 2016
Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 06/16 covers how companies supplying the government can help support Armed Forces veterans and the spouses and partners of serving personnel. The note was published in June 2016 and remains active. Because we only have the summary and not the full document text, the specific rules, weightings or requirements it sets out are not available to us. Small businesses bidding for public contracts should be aware that commitments to the Armed Forces community — such as signing the Armed Forces Covenant — may be relevant to their bids, but the precise obligations or evaluation criteria cannot be confirmed from the available text alone.
WHO THIS APPLIES TO
THE ENKII VIEW
This PPN signals that support for Armed Forces veterans and service families is an area the government expects its suppliers to engage with — which could represent an opportunity for SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) that already hire veterans or hold Armed Forces Covenant pledges to differentiate themselves. However, without the full document text, the exact mechanism (whether it is a pass/fail requirement, a scored criterion, or simply guidance) cannot be confirmed. SMEs should retrieve the full PDF to understand any concrete obligations before bidding on relevant contracts.
1. Download and read the full PPN 06/16 PDF from GOV.UK to identify any specific scoring criteria, pass/fail requirements, or commitments relating to the Armed Forces Covenant that apply to your bids.
All SMEs bidding for central government contracts — Only the summary text was available for this brief; the full document will contain the concrete rules that bidders must follow.
2. Consider signing the Armed Forces Covenant and documenting any existing veteran-friendly employment practices, as this PPN signals the government expects suppliers to actively support the Armed Forces community.
SMEs that employ or are open to employing veterans and service spouses/partners — The document explicitly covers how suppliers can support veterans and service spouses/partners, indicating this is a valued supplier behaviour in government procurement.
3. Check tender documents for any Armed Forces Covenant-related questions or social value criteria, and prepare evidence of relevant commitments (e.g. Covenant pledge, veteran hiring statistics) in advance.
SMEs preparing bids for central government contracts — PPN 06/16 is still active as of its last update, meaning contracting authorities may reference it when setting supplier requirements or evaluation criteria.
Every rule below quotes the official document verbatim.
The policy covers how government suppliers can help support veterans and service spouses and partners. (Government suppliers — exact contract value thresholds and buyer scope not determinable from available text.)
“This procurement policy note provides information on how government suppliers can help provide support to veterans and service spouses and partners.”
This briefing is enkii's interpretation of the official document — the official text always governs.
Source document © Crown copyright, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0 via the GOV.UK Content API. enkii tracks every Procurement Policy Note and briefs changes the day they land — see all briefings.