The current procurement paradigm emphasises efficiency and risk, although innovation and social value considerations also feature. The last ten years have seen a renewal of industrial policy, based not solely around sectors, but also around bold missions that address the grand challenges of today. However, many governments are struggling to enact the institutional and organisational transformations necessary to deliver those missions successfully. A range of new policy tools and institutions are needed, including mission-oriented procurement.

Mission-oriented procurement (MOP) recognises the critical strategic role that commissioning and procurement can play in shaping markets that align with government policy goals. Examples of this exist, but it is a niche practice.

Camden Council is embarking on a radical redesign of its procurement policy, to better leverage it as a tool for achieving mission goals. This project explored how the commissioning and procurement of its Adult Long-Term Care and Support service (Homecare) could support the delivery of its Estates Mission, through the design and test of a prototype 'Mission Incubator.'

While this report draws from the experience of Camden Council, many of the insights are widely relevant to governments globally. The authors argue that a mission-oriented procurement approach can support ambitious, dynamic governments to address the grand challenges of the 21st Century.

Section 2 outlines the main paradigms of procurement today and their limitations. Section 3 shares lessons from Camden’s test of the procurement Mission Incubator. Section 4 builds on those lessons to suggest steps towards a new economics of procurement. Section 5 sets out the changes to the procurement culture and mindset that must underpin new practice. Section 6 summarises the conclusions and recommendations.

The Appendix provides further detail on the process of creating and testing the 'Mission Incubator' and reflects on improvements that could be made by others interested in replicating the work.