When we talk about the UK’s growth agenda, the conversation often starts with infrastructure and ends with delivery. But every street, building and workplace tells another story – one of the people who live, work and thrive there, and the opportunities we create when we see “place” not just as bricks and mortar, but as a catalyst for change. Over my career at Amey, I have seen first-hand how procurement can be more than a contract fulfilment tool; it can be a lever for good, opening doors to jobs, skills, and resilient local economies that meet the specific needs of each community.
People, place and productivity, are they really separate? I do not believe they are. At Amey, procurement isn’t just for delivery – it is a vehicle for change, driving growth through place, providing good-quality jobs and strengthening local supply chains.
With 11,000 people working to support the buildings and infrastructure we rely on every day, Amey builds long-term relationships with charities, communities and partners. Our teams are uniquely positioned to listen, learn and remove barriers to work and prosperity at both a macro and micro level.
As a key supplier to government, we approach social value with legacy mindset. Every strategy is tailored to the specific contract, the people and communities it serves, and the actions that will deliver the most positive impact. We understand our role in creating good-quality jobs, nurturing thriving supply chains and supporting the government’s ambitions for growth.
Place as a catalyst for growth
Government property covers more than 100,000 assets, with around half-a-million civil servants working across the UK, and countless more interacting with the services provided through these spaces every day.
From our perspective, place is a thriving ecosystem, with jobs, supply chains and communities at its heart. A huge passion of mine is working with colleagues to unlock the opportunities within these spaces, an often-hidden value in place. This is central to Amey’s role in managing and enhancing the nation’s assets, and it’s a distinctive strength in the markets we serve.
Shining a light on value
In 2024, 7.2% of our new hires were individuals facing barriers to work, such as prison leavers, veterans, care leavers, and those not in employment, education or training (NEETs). We’re aiming for 10% in 2025. Our approach is to give a voice to those impacted by these challenges, partnering with local organisations, charitable bodies, and public departments like the Department for Work and Pensions to unlock potential and provide cohesive support as they navigate the world of work.
This effort is not a quick fix; it requires time, care, compassion, and an individual approach to provide long-term job security. But the impact extends well beyond the job itself – it creates a ripple of potential through families, communities and workplaces. These individuals bring diversity of thought and experience, helping transform the way we work, particularly in the face of challenges like the climate crisis and the decarbonisation agenda.
Amey’s approach to reducing reoffending, developed over the past decade alongside employment advisory boards, charities, prisons and those with lived experience, reflects this ethos. For example, our work at HMP New Hall showcases how collaboration can open up employment opportunities for women on release, helping to break the cycle and create lasting change.
Championing supply chain diversity
We spend around £1 billion with our supply chain, recognising the importance of going beyond direct spend to include tiered suppliers. As a strategic supplier, we are well-positioned to open doors for a diverse supply chain, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs), and to help grow, diversify, or establish these organisations.
Through initiatives like the Buy Social Corporate Challenge, we’ve supported programmes to accelerate VCSE growth, including seed funding and incubator models. In 2021, for example, Amey seed-funded e50k, a social enterprise led by military spouses and veterans. This initiative supports our ‘Move You In Pack Project,’ providing eco-friendly hampers for service families relocating to new homes. It has created employment for 188 military spouses and delivered over 2,600 hours of community engagement.
We also partnered with Hays on an accelerator programme to support VCSEs in infrastructure and workforce solutions. In 2024, four organisations received grants and tailored support, including Standing Tall, a social enterprise pairing individuals experiencing homelessness with stable, real living wage jobs. Standing Tall has since secured a contract with Amey and is now part of our inclusive recruitment supply chain.
Unlocking potential through procurement
We believe flexibility and adaptability are essential in addressing social issues and will continue to advocate for a greater focus on social value within contract management, not just at the outset, but throughout operational delivery and beyond.
By focusing on the people and places we impact, asset managers and central government can maximise social value and help create an inclusive, productive economy. At Amey, we call this people potential – and we believe that together, we can transform lives through procurement.