Preparing To Highlight Your 'Social Value'

In recent times, procurement authorities have significantly increased their focus on social value; therefore it's now more vital than ever that you (and your company) highlight your potential positive impact on wider society during the tender process.

This begs the question: what should you be doing to prepare for your next tender process?

But first, what actually is 'social value' in the context of the tender process?

What is Social Value?

Social value is becoming increasingly important in procurement processes. This is because awarding 'buyers' are beginning to recognise the wider impact of a contract beyond its primary function. They now take into account the economic, social, and environmental benefits that a contract can bring to the local area - this is, in essence, the 'social value'.

This shift in focus is a move away from awarding contracts based solely on price and towards a more holistic approach that considers the long-term benefits to the community.

As a result, social value is now a fundamental component of any successful bid, with weightings of up to 20% being given to this criterion for many tender opportunities. This means that companies hoping to bid for a specific tender must not only deliver on the primary function of the contract but also demonstrate their commitment to improving the well-being of the local area. By doing so, they can create a positive impact that goes beyond the immediate delivery of the service contract (and increase their chances of winning the tender).

It is essential to keep in mind that your proposed 'social value' must be tailored to each specific tender opportunity, the preferences of the purchasing authority, and the needs of the local population where the service is being offered. Particularly for public sector tender opportunities, to increase your chances of success, it's crucial to understand the social value priorities of the local area and tailor your responses accordingly. Avoid making standard commitments in every bid response, as each commissioning authority will have its own set of unique socio-economic challenges that they want you to address. Therefore, it's essential to analyse the specific needs of the community and develop customized solutions that address those needs. By doing so, you can demonstrate a deep understanding of the area's priorities and increase your chances of winning the contract.

There are steps you can take to make sure you have developed a 'bid-library', with plenty of varied examples of your social value initiatives, that can be easily adjusted or altered for when you do actually receive those tender documents...

Common Tender Document Social Value Questions

Economic Social Value Questions:

1. What employment and training opportunities will you offer and to whom? Will you provide entry-level employment? Will you engage with the unemployed? Will you employ specific priority target groups?
   

2. Will you offer valuable work-experience, voluntary work, and/or apprenticeship opportunities to young adults?
   

3. Will you collaborate with schools, colleges, or training providers to offer education and work experience?
   

4. What apprenticeships, traineeships, and higher apprenticeships schemes and opportunities will you provide to facilitate workplace learning and development?
   

5. Finally, how will you support local people to gain access to the employment opportunities that your contract will produce?

And some possible response themes...

• Using local suppliers and supporting the local supply chain

• Utilising the services of local SME businesses

• Creating job opportunities for local people

• Supporting young people in securing apprenticeships

• Providing training or apprenticeship schemes

• Promoting opportunities to collaborate with local voluntary and community organisations

• Striving towards providing a living wage to employees.

Social Value Questions:

1. How will you support local charities, community groups, and cultural heritage as part of your organisation's efforts to help others?
   

2. How will your supply chain ensure ethical considerations, such as ethical sourcing practices?
   

3. How will you promote the safeguarding and welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults?
   

4. How will you create opportunities for all, including disadvantaged individuals, to make a valuable contribution and promote social integration, such as through work opportunities?
   

5. How will you consider equality and diversity in the provision and operation of services, including ensuring the workforce is representative of the communities served under this contract?
   

6. How will you protect and support the most vulnerable individuals?
   

7. How will you work towards improving the health and wellbeing of local residents and employees?

And some possible response themes...

• Promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults

• Improving the health and well-being of local residents and employees

• Supporting local culture and heritage

• Championing ethical supply chains, for example, Fair Trade

• Helping local charities and community groups

• Creating volunteering opportunities

• Promoting social integration and community engagement, for instance, involving local residents.

Environmental Social Value Questions

1. How will you reduce energy and fuel consumption while delivering the contract?

2. What are the main environmental impacts associated with the contract, and how will you manage and verify this?

3. Have you established any environmental objectives to enhance your environmental performance during the contract duration? If yes, how will you manage and verify environmental objectives?

4. How will you encourage initiatives that preserve, safeguard, improve and/or enhance the local natural environment to benefit the local community and wildlife?

And some possible response themes...

• To ensure sustainability, implementing ISO 14001 environmental management systems is important.

• Your supply chain should incorporate sustainability considerations to reduce your environmental impact.

• Promoting initiatives that help retain, protect, or enhance the local natural environment is important for sustainable development.

• Waste reduction through re-use and recycling is an effective way to minimise your environmental footprint.

• By reducing energy and fuel consumption in the provision of the contract, we can reduce our carbon footprint and save costs.

• Using environmentally friendly goods and materials can minimise pollution and ensure a sustainable future.

These are just a small selection of possible questions (and response ideas) for you to start thinking about when creating your bid library and preparing for social value questions for your next tender.

I hope this helped!