Home Office voluntary, community and social enterprises action plan (2025 to 2026)
Published 6 August 2025
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Foreword
SCS Statement
Welcome to the Home Office Commercial Directorate VCSE Action Plan. This plan sets out our objectives to provide procurement and grant opportunities to a diverse range of suppliers to support the department with the goods and services needed to deliver our Missions and to fulfil our Home Office policy or public interest need.
The Home Office conducts its business in a fair, open, and transparent manner, giving VCSE businesses opportunities to bid for and win contracts and grant funding. The Home Office plays a fundamental role in the security and economic prosperity of the UK, as we face increased challenges and economic constraints.
The Procurement Act 2023 (PA23) and the National Procurement Policy Statement have set expectations on providing opportunities to both VCSEs and Small, Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and the Home Office is committed to achieving these expectations. This plan sets out how we will support the government’s ambitions for growth through our VCSE action plan.
In addition, to economic benefits we know that wider social value benefits can be achieved when we work with VCSEs including via grant funding. The voluntary sector can support us to deliver key Home Office policies, provide greater localisation, reduce carbon to achieve net zero by 2050, create jobs and apprenticeships, and create community initiatives, helping the UK towards economic prosperity.
Home Office Commercial has experienced much change in recent years. We intend to embrace the Procurement Act 2023 to maximise the benefits that new regulations will bring and will continue to encourage VCSEs to bid for grant funding. I look forward on reporting back on progress in the next iteration of this plan including setting our first VCSE direct spend target. Noting that we can also influence spend throughout the supply chain for contracts and grants.
Lee Tribe
Chief Commercial Officer
VCSE Crown Representative Statement
In my role as the Crown Representative for the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises sector (VCSE), I act as an intermediary between government and the charity and social enterprise sectors to champion the Public Services (Social Value) Act and improvements in commissioning and procurement practices. As part of this, I am very keen to work with all government departments to share best practice and to promote the benefits of working with VCSE organisations.
Having worked closely with Home Office, I am looking forward to supporting Home Office making renewed progress with VCSEs and seeing them increase the amount of business they partner with VCSEs on. This action plan builds on previous achievements and will help Home Office to deliver on their ambitious plans for VCSE engagement.
I very much look forward to continuing working with my departmental colleagues to help support them in achieving these targets.
Claire Dove CBE
VCSE Crown Representative, Cabinet Office
Introduction to Home Office
The first duty of the government is to keep citizens safe and the country secure. The Home Office plays a fundamental role in the security and economic prosperity of the UK.
This government has an ambitious agenda for the Home Office to deliver:
- a safer, fairer and more prosperous United Kingdom
- on the priorities of the British people
The Home Office is at the frontier of keeping the UK safe and secure, delivering services that make a real difference to the public. Times of unprecedented change and challenging circumstances remind us of the importance of the department’s work.
Looking to the next two years, we have an ambitious Outcome Delivery Plan focused on the areas that matter most to the public. We are committed to reducing crime and want to see a return to common-sense policing. We will reform our immigration system to ensure those with no right to be here are removed. We will continue to enable the legitimate movement of people and goods to drive prosperity and reduce homeland security risks to the UK’s people, prosperity and freedom.
Our greatest priority as a department is to stop the record level of small boat arrivals which have placed unprecedented strain on our asylum system, and to continue to disrupt the business model of people smugglers who exploit vulnerable individuals and put lives in danger. We have introduced legislation which will allow those coming to the UK illegally to be processed efficiently and have their claims concluded in another safe country. Our plan will ensure that immigration is legal, orderly and controlled. We will promote public confidence in the fairness and efficacy of the system through prompt removal of illegal migrants and protection of the most vulnerable.
Our vision is to create a world leading border that facilitates the flow of legitimate migration and goods and delivers for a safe and prosperous UK, as set out in the 2025 UK Border Strategy.
The future development of the migration and borders system is based on enhancing the use of data and technology alongside redesigning operations to improve outcomes across all areas of delivery, at the border and within the UK.
We will also address ‘hidden harms’ – crimes that disproportionately impact the vulnerable and are often out of sight, under-reported and under-identified. We prioritise driving down the prevalence of said crimes whilst driving up the reporting of them – which is a necessary step to increasing victim confidence. We are also focused on:
- increasing the number of offenders brought to justice
- improving the broader criminal justice response
- improving the support on offer for victims.
We are continuing to deliver on the 127 commitments set out in the Violence Against Women and Girls and Domestic Abuse strategies:
- Tackling labour exploitation and supporting the victims who suffer from it
- Working with business and international partners to tackle slavery in supply chains
Read our Home Office Outcome Delivery Plan to find out more about how we are performing against our objectives.
What procurement looks like at Home Office
Our department procures a broad and complex range of goods and services, including storage and disposal of seized goods from the borders, passport printing and delivery, accommodation and support services for asylum seekers, digital services at the borders and biometric identification services to the police and immigration services. Our Arm’s Length Bodies also procure in a wide range of markets; IT, research, service contracts, wellbeing, training provisions, and website design.
Commercial procurement enables the delivery of the Home Office’s top priorities;
- To support the delivery on the Government’s mission to halve serious violence, over a decade, with strong action to tackle knife crime and violence against women and girls.
- To continue the work of the new Border Security Command and give wider law enforcement the tools and powers they need to crack down on criminal gangs.
- Strengthen the security of public events and venues and take back our streets by strengthening public protections, reducing delays in the criminal courts and ensuring that victims get the support they deserve.
What grant funding looks like at Home Office
While not a formal component of this Action Plan, it is important to acknowledge the significant role that grant funding plays in supporting the Home Office’s policy objectives. In the financial year 2024–25, the department funded 264 grant schemes designed to deliver impactful outcomes across a range of priority areas. These include:
- Reducing violence against women and girls
- Strengthening homeland security and resilience
- Tackling fraud and cybercrime
- Supporting immigration policy through initiatives such as eVisas, reintegration, and resettlement schemes
- Providing assistance to applicants of the Windrush Compensation Scheme
These grants are instrumental in enabling the department to deliver social value and public benefit through partnerships with VCSE organisations and other delivery partners. They complement our commercial activity and reflect our broader commitment to inclusive and impactful public service delivery.
Why we have created this Action Plan
Home Office is committed to improving its understanding of VCSE organisations in its sectors and the markets it purchases from, with the aim to increase VCSE appetite to participate in procurement and grant funding bids and reduce barriers to entry. VCSEs play a vital role in the delivery of public services, and many have strong links to the communities they serve. Their knowledge and connection to local areas ideally places them to help create compassionate, responsive and efficient public services.
The government supports charities and social enterprises by bringing social value into public procurement, ensuring contracts are awarded on the basis of not only price, but also the supplier’s social impact. The Public Services (Social Value) Act, the PPN 002 Taking Account of Social Value in the Award of Contracts and the ability to reserving below threshold procurements all illustrate the government’s commitment to providing VCSE organisations with much deserved recognition while ensuring that the additional social benefits that can be achieved in the delivery of contracts is taken into account.
The new Procurement Act 2023 introduces further legislation to support the VCSE sector by reforming public procurement law to improve the way procurement is done. This simpler and more flexible commercial system will benefit suppliers of all sizes, including charities and social enterprises who will be able to keep track of upcoming opportunities, tender notices, and at least 18 months’ worth of planned procurements on a new centralised platform.
Overview of VCSEs in Home Office
Barriers to Participation
This section provides an overview of key barriers faced by the VCSE sector. The Perspective Economics research report provided crucial evidence-based insight into the barriers to entry and growth potential for VCSEs[footnote 1].
We have highlighted the key supply and demand side barriers below, as these were aspects that were recognised when developing Home Office’s VCSE Action Plan.
| Supply Side Barriers (VCSE Suppliers Experience) | Demand Side Barriers (Commissioners Experience) |
|---|---|
| VCSEs have varied capacity both to bid and deliver contracts | Commissioner understanding of the VCSE sector is varied |
| Some VCSEs are hesitant to participate with procurement, citing contract flexibility / increased marketisation / level of risk / resource required / previous experiences | Contract design and management can limit the sector’s ability to engage with procurement / to effectively deliver their services / to deliver contracts within budget |
| There are some concerns around lack of accountability, payment, and transparency within the supply chain | Existing partnerships with the sector are varied and few commissioners have a comprehensive strategy in place to collaborate with the sector |
| Lack of VCSE spend data and intelligence can limit the ambitions within this plan. |
In light of this, Home Office are focused on addressing the following barriers to entry: Definition and Understanding of the Sector; Supply Chain Issues; Awareness of Opportunities; Contracts Marked as Suitable for VCSEs; and Contract Design.
Our spend with VCSEs
Home Office total procurement spend has continued to increase, the overall number of contracts has decreased. The number of bronze, silver and gold contracts split across the Home Office has changed the overall proportion of total procurement spend.
Bronze Contracts – Low risk / low value
We have seen a decrease in the number of bronze contracts in 2024/2025 (690) compared to 2023/2024 (1050) with a difference of £0.7b in total contract value of bronze contracts.
| HO Bronze Contracts | Total contract Value (£b) | Suppliers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22/23 | 806 | 1.4 | 476 |
| 23/24 | 1050 | 2.1 | 564 |
| 24/25 | 690 | 1.4 | 424 |
The Home Office has awarded fewer bronze-level contracts, while the total value, number of contracts, and number of suppliers for silver and gold-level contracts have increased.
The tables below show the changes in number of gold and silver contracts from 2022/2023 – 2024/2025.
Silver – Medium risk, value and complexity
| Year | HO Silver Contracts | Total Contract Value (£b) | Suppliers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22/23 | 75.0 | 2.0 | 62 |
| 23/24 | 131.0 | 2.4 | 125 |
| 24/25 | 214.0 | 5.5 | 120 |
Gold - Business critical, highest risk contracts
| Year | HO Gold Contracts | Total Contract value (£b) | Suppliers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22/23 | 40.0 | 19.7 | 28 |
| 23/24 | 63.0 | 21.4 | 40 |
| 24/25 | 77.0 | 24.1 | 50 |
We are working to improve visibility of VCSE spend. We currently pay our prime suppliers through the Home Office financial system (Oracle Fusion) and do not capture supply chain spend on our systems.
An overview of our 2024/25 VCSE spend data can be found below:
- Total procurement spend: £6.4bn
- Direct spend with VCSEs: £94m
- Total spend with VCSEs: 1.47%
Over the year, we will initiate the tracking and reporting of our direct, indirect and grant expenditure with VCSEs, acknowledging that a substantial portion of VCSE engagement is facilitated through subcontracting and grant arrangements.
An overview of our 2024/25 VCSE spend data for grants
- Total general grant spend £4.75bn
- Grant spend with VCSEs £86m
- Grant spend with VCSEs 2%
Our payment performance
Government is leading by example and paying our suppliers promptly. Late payment is an issue for businesses, especially smaller businesses, as it can adversely affect their cash flow and jeopardise their ability to trade. The government recognises that the public sector should set a strong example by paying promptly. The public sector is required to pay their suppliers in 30 days and report on their performance on an annual basis. 30-day terms also apply in public sector supply chains. Our department’s latest payment performance is set out below.
Latest report covering August 2024:
- 70% Percent of invoices were paid within 5 days.
- 95% Percent of invoices were paid within 30 days.
View our Home Office prompt payment data 2024 to 2025
View further information on government’s payment policy and legislation
Action Plan
This is the first iteration of a VCSE action plan for the Home Office. The purpose and ambition of this plan is to create a foundation of best practice to be adopted and improved in the future.
| Action | Benefit to VCSEs | Milestones |
|---|---|---|
| Improve VCSE data on internal systems | Improved visibility of our incoming VCSE suppliers through our integration of Dun and Bradstreet checks into our new commercial lifecycle system (Jaggaer). We are looking into whether this may enable us to update and better track VCSE spend through our finance systems. | December 2025 |
| Reduce complexity of procurement process | Using CCS frameworks remains a policy objective. We will use Social Value Ambassadors within the commercial department to promote ‘supplier introductions’ and social value understanding during market engagement. | December 2025 |
| Having regard for VCSEs | Recognising that attending in-person supplier days can be disproportionately costly to VCSEs, we will offer online/hybrid forums. This will allow for greater VCSE participation, giving them the opportunity to shape and define the procurement, such as considering regional lotting and selecting appropriate key performance indicators. | We will continue to promote hybrid industry days as part of our market engagement processes. Facilitating ‘meet the buyer’ opportunities where appropriate. |
| Explore how to encourage internal business partners to realise the benefits of competition (educational piece – benefits of PA23 and how it will deliver value for money) and encourage innovation by bringing new entrants in | A clear understanding of the rules of competition will mean a more beneficial structure and opportunities for VCSEs. | We will produce a Social Value Guide for our business partners highlighting the benefits of delivering against the National Procurement Policy Statement by August 2025. |
| Develop Strategy for Facilities Management and Digital, Data & Technology Categories | Commissioners will understand key considerations for specific market/categories. Capturing VCSE spend profiles to inform future procurements, strategies and this action plan. | To be rolled out in stages commencing from 2027/28. |
| Explore ways to improve prompt payment performance | Enhancements to invoice receipting could reduce turnaround times improving VCSE cash flow. | Explore implementing 2-way matching for our common goods and services to support achieving the 5-day prompt payment target by September 2025. |
| Ensure that all grant competitions are advertised on Find a Grant | Ensures VCSEs can easily find Home Office grant funding opportunities | ongoing |
| Utilise “Apply” for a grant functionality on the Find a Grant service to receive grant funding applications | “Apply” for a grant functionality is a simpler application process when compared with Jaggaer and may encourage more VCSEs to apply for grant funding. | # Test the “Apply” functionality with two grant competitions in Q1 FY25/26, implement lessons learnt and required system improvements with Cabinet Office, with an aim to utilise “Apply” for all grant competitions by the end of FY25-26. |
Ownership of this plan sits under the Governance, Policy, Suppliers and Risk team, and we will ensure effective implementation across the department by reviewing bi-monthly with regular monitoring of progress.
We will proactively seek and act on feedback from the VCSE sector to continuously improve our understanding of VCSEs and how we can better support the sector going forward.
This action plan is a 1-year plan, however, it will be reviewed within Q4 2025/26 and updated as appropriate based on the commitments outlined above.
Case studies and hyperlinks for grants awarded to VCSEs
Please click on the link below to access the Home Office case study example and hyperlinks to a sample of grants awarded to VCSEs.
Vital support for victims in £20 million funding boost - GOV.UK
Record funding will protect Jewish communities from harm - GOV.UK
eVisa transition: vulnerability support confirmed - GOV.UK
Links to departmental commercial opportunities and market engagement events
Direct Opportunities
One of the most important things contracting authorities can do is to provide the market with information about current and future public contract opportunities by publishing a forward-looking procurement pipeline. The Procurement Act 2023 achieves this by requiring the publication of pipeline notices in certain circumstances. This is of particular benefit to VCSEs, as it provides them with time to plan for future work, ensuring a competitive and diverse market.
Pipeline notices (UK1) for any intended requirement over £2 million are published on Find a Tender.
Our pipeline notices are a forward look for 18 months and are reviewed and updated every 6 months, or as necessary.
View our pipeline of potential activities.
Read about how to look at the notices, notifications and the use of data
Search and apply for contract opportunities
Joining Frameworks / Dynamic Purchasing System
Joining a commercial agreement, such as a framework or Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), can put VCSEs in front of buyers actively seeking their services.
- Framework agreements establish terms for future contracts, providing a pool of pre-selected suppliers from which public sector buyers can call off orders.
- DPSs are an “always open” electronic list of pre-qualified suppliers that public sector buyers use to quickly and flexibly purchase goods, services, or works.
Search the Crown Commercial Service commercial agreement pipeline for upcoming agreements
Joining a Supply Chain
By joining our supply chain, you, as a VCSE, can gain access to larger government contracts that you might not secure on your own. We believe this is a valuable opportunity to build strong relationships with larger companies and gain invaluable experience working with us.
You can also use the Find a Tender service to identify potential prime contractors bidding on large government projects. By keeping an eye on these opportunities, you can proactively reach out to these organisations and offer your services as subcontractors or suppliers. We see this as an effective way for you to get involved in significant projects and establish yourselves within our government supply chain.
Many industry bodies and trade associations also advertise opportunities in supply chains.
Further information on how to do business with our department (www.gov.uk).
Grants Opportunities
Find a grant (www.gov.uk) is a service that allows you to search government grants. You can use this service to:
- access government grant funding
- search and filter to find a grant that matches your needs
- find out if you are eligible to apply for a grant
- find out how to apply for a grant
Departmental supplier events
The benefits of market engagement are considered early and discussed with our customers before drafting full requirements and finalising the procurement strategy. Due to the scale and nature of our projects, market engagement can take various forms, and we know that the supply market can help us to shape our requirements.
Where possible, we will use planned procurement notices to advertise upcoming procurements. The planned procurement notice is designed to give as much advance information to the market as possible to enable potentially interested suppliers to determine if the upcoming procurement is something that they wish to bid for, and to provide maximum time for preparation.
The next notice in the sequence, is a preliminary market engagement notice. This notice is used to invite suppliers to participate in preliminary market engagement or to notify the market that engagement has taken place. PA23 does not require central government departments to conduct preliminary market engagement, however we recognise that it’s a particularly important tool for the achievement of value for money and to keep the market informed of developments. All planned and preliminary market engagement notices will be published on the Find a Tender portal.
By conducting engagement with suppliers in a variety of category areas and on a number of different themes, we can raise awareness of joined-up cross-Government missions and discuss current opportunities and challenges in particular industries. We also encourage our strategic and critical suppliers to invite their VCSE industry partners to our events.
We plan our events several months in advance and communicate this to our suppliers with sufficient notice to allow them to communicate with their industry partners. Below are some examples of the type of events we offer, which cover a range of topics, and are held virtually to allow the maximum reach and avoid regional bias:
- HO Social Value Event: The most recent event was held on 10 October 2024 and provided a platform for suppliers to hear the latest departmental updates, case studies, and policy developments relating to Social Value in contracting. Invitations were extended to SMEs and VCSEs through our key and strategic supplier partners.
- HO Commercial Supplier Conference: The most recent conference took place on 6 February 2025. This event serves as a key opportunity to share departmental priorities and strategic updates with our supplier network.
Helpful resources
- Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise business hub - GOV.UK Is a dedicated space to help VCSEs looking to work with the government. Here you will find links to other departmental action plans and centralised guidance on bidding for government work.
- VCSEs: A guide to working with government: VCSE Crown Representative Claire Dove has commissioned this guidance document for VCSEs looking to work with central and local government.
- Contracts Finder: Register with Contracts Finder to keep updated on new and upcoming contracts worth over £10,000 with the government and its agencies.
- Public Procurement Review Service: If you have a concern you’d like to raise about the procurement process or a problem with payment on a public contract you can let us know via the Public Procurement Review Service, and they will investigate for you.
- Government’s Prompt Payment Policy: Find out more about the measures introduced by the government to tackle late and unfair payment practices in the public sector.
- VCSE Contract Readiness Programme - the Contract Readiness Programme (funded by DCMS for 2022-2025) aims to support VCSE suppliers in England to work with government clients.
- Public Services Hub - This platform, hosted by Social Enterprise UK, provides resources and opportunities to help advance the role of VCSEs in public sector commissioning
- Find a Tender - This tool enables charities, social enterprises, and other organisations to search and apply for high value government contracts (usually worth £138,760 including VAT)
- Find a Grant - This tool enables charities, social enterprises, and other organisations to search government grants and find out how to apply
- Crown Commercial Service Upcoming Agreements - This tool enables charities, social enterprises, and other organisations to find relevant upcoming agreements under the ‘Future Pipeline’ and ‘Planned Procurements’ sections of the page
- Supplier Code of Conduct – The Supplier Code of Conduct strengthens the principles of working together and is intended to help suppliers and those working in government understand the standards and behaviours that are expected when working on a government contract.
- Code of Conduct for Grant Recipients - The Code of Conduct for Grant Recipients bring the expectations placed on Grant Recipients, in terms of ethical and professional behaviour, into line with those placed on suppliers.
- Resources for charities and social enterprises from the National Cyber Security Centre on Cyber Security:
- Small Charity Guide - This guide sets out how to improve cyber security within a charity - quickly, easily, and at low cost
- 10 Steps to Cyber Security - This provides guidance on how organisations can protect themselves in cyberspace
- MyNCSC - This provides a common point of entry to a number of the NSCS’s Active Cyber Defence services
- Cyber Security Toolkit for Boards - This comprises resources designed to help board members govern cyber risk more effective
Key Contacts
Email: VoluntaryCommunityandSocialEnterprises@homeoffice.gov.uk
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Please note, the barriers outlined in this section have been identified through both the systematic review of existing literature, as well as strategic engagement with 29 consultees. ↩