Social value and impact
What is social value and impact?
Social value refers to the wider social, environmental and economic benefits an organisation creates through its activities, beyond its core commercial outputs. In the UK, legislation such as the Procurement Act 2023 has made social value an increasingly important consideration in procurement. At the same time, growing expectations from investors, employees, customers and local communities mean organisations are also looking to strengthen their social licence to operate and demonstrate positive social impact.
Our Social Value and Impact service helps organisations understand, measure and embed social value in a way that reflects their business priorities, strengthens governance and supports long-term resilience.
Drawing on our experience in sustainability strategy, governance, reporting and measurement, we help organisations develop practical and proportionate approaches that connect social value with wider business objectives. Whether supporting procurement, community impact or broader sustainability ambitions, our focus is on helping clients build credible approaches that can be delivered, evidenced and continuously improved.
Social Value in practice
A practical guide to building a credible approach.
Five principles that can help organisations move from disconnected activity and commitments towards a more credible and joined-up approach.
What this service covers.
Our Social Value and Impact service is designed to be flexible, recognising that every organisation starts from a different place. Many organisations already create social value through their activities, but often struggle to measure it consistently, connect it to wider business objectives or demonstrate it effectively. Whether you are responding to procurement requirements, strengthening your approach to community impact or looking to better evidence the value your organisation creates, we tailor our support to your priorities and level of maturity.
Support may include understanding current activity, identifying priority themes and opportunities, developing proportionate approaches to measurement and governance, strengthening procurement responses and establishing practical approaches to monitoring, reporting and continual improvement. Where appropriate, we can also support the application of recognised frameworks, including The National TOMs (Themes, Outcomes and Measures) Framework.
Value and benefits.
A well-designed social value approach helps organisations move from fragmented activity to a more coordinated and evidence-based approach. This can improve confidence in procurement responses, strengthen governance, support more meaningful stakeholder engagement and provide a clearer understanding of the social value being created.
The result is an approach that is practical, proportionate and aligned with wider business and sustainability objectives, helping organisations respond to evolving expectations while supporting continual improvement.
Frequently asked questions.
Do we need to use The National TOMs Framework?
Not necessarily. TOMs may be appropriate in UK public procurement contexts. We advise on proportionate methodologies aligned to your drivers and capability.
Can you help improve our tender scores?
Where social value forms part of the evaluation criteria, we support bid teams to develop measurable, realistic and deliverable commitments aligned to scoring requirements and backed by clear governance and evidence.
We already undertake community initiatives. What would change?
Often the challenge is not activity but structure. We help organisations define priorities, clarify what should be measured and embed governance so commitments are consistent, defensible and aligned with business strategy.
How does this link to ESG reporting?
We align procurement commitments with wider governance and disclosure objectives so that social value activity reinforces, rather than duplicates, ESG reporting and investor communications.
Is this only relevant for public sector suppliers?
No. While procurement is a significant driver in the UK public sector market, social value increasingly supports workforce resilience, inclusive growth and stakeholder trust across sectors, particularly where organisations are strengthening governance and impact reporting.
Latest insights.
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Demonstrating commitment, progress, and impact through transparent, ESG reporting and powerful communications to enhance business growth.
Communication
Sustainability can be a complex landscape, we work with your organisation to fully equip your employees and stakeholders with the necessary skills and knowledge so everyone can engage in your strategies.
More value each year
By combining human expertise with AI-enabled solutions and intelligence, you get greater value, efficiency and insights.
To give you flexibility in how to access these benefits, this solution is available through both traditional project-based support and a subscription partnership. Allowing you to choose the approach that best meets your needs.