Public procurement isn’t just about securing the best deal: it is a powerful tool for advancing social goals. Over the past decade, ‘social procurement’ has gained traction, particularly as governments recognise that how they spend public funds can directly contribute to reducing inequalities. A major driver of this shift was the 2014 EU Directive on Public Procurement, which highlighted the role of procurement in addressing social concerns and encouraged member states to update their laws to reflect these priorities.
In Spain, this directive led to the adoption of Law 9/2017, which reformed the country’s public procurement framework to require that contracts at all levels of government consider gender equality, diversity, work-life balance, and other social considerations. While the national law sets the overall framework, in Spain, regional and municipal governments have significant autonomy to interpret and implement these requirements. This flexibility has created space for innovative, locally tailored strategies that aim to move beyond basic compliance and actively promote gender equality through procurement.
This report highlights gender mainstreaming strategies for procurement in three Spanish cities – Valladolid, Zaragoza, and Valencia – to illustrate how equality can be better transposed into public contracts and ensure that every Euro spent aligns with social goals.