On June 18, a conference on social clauses in public procurement was held at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, where the challenges and opportunities presented by this instrument were discussed. On behalf of the Cooperation Fund Foundation, Board Member Jacek Ostrowski participated in the meeting and panel discussion. During the conference, Minister Jacek Cichocki announced the issuance of special recommendations for the promotion of social clauses in public procurement, addressed to all government administration offices. The head of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister also emphasized that the purpose of using social clauses is to achieve employment stability for Poles.
Social clauses are a legal solution that allows offices to support individuals facing difficult circumstances in the labor market. Using this tool, offices can, for example, require that the entity carrying out the contract employ a certain percentage of its employees under employment contracts.
In Poland, in 2014, social public procurement accounted for approximately 3% of all announced contracts. The Cooperation Fund Foundation actively participates in promoting the concept of social clauses as part of the “Integrated System of Support for the Social Economy” partnership project. Last year, the Foundation conducted, among other activities, a promotional and dissemination campaign that addressed the legal provisions and the possibility of using social clauses in public procurement. As part of the project, workshops were organized for representatives of local government units and institutions required to comply with the Public Procurement Law, attended by nearly 1,300 people. The Foundation also created a website, www.klausespoleczne.pl, serving as a database of experiences for meeting participants, and published an information brochure entitled “Social Clauses – for the Benefit of All.”
Photos by the Chancellery of the Prime Minister.
