What is Social Value?
Social Value is considered as the wider benefit gained by a local community from the delivery of public contracts.
This can be the community as a whole, disadvantaged individuals, minorities, businesses and VCSEs, as well as the environment through the better spending of public money. At a simple level, Social Value can be split into 3 areas:
| Social |
Economic |
Environmental |
Includes activites such as:
Volunteering in the community | Hosting community events at your business | Flexible working policies for staff |
Includes acitivites such as:
Hosting work placements / creating apprenticeships / creating jobs | Employing local people and spending with local suppliers | Mentoring and providing career advice to young people |
Includes activites such as:
Reducing energy / water use and carbon emissions | Supporting improvements to public spaces and parks | Using sustainable products and materials |
By ensuring Social Value is included in contracts awarded, the Council hopes to secure better outcomes and possibilities for its local communities.
Social Value can be a specific requirement within a contract specification (part of the core requirement), or can be something proposed and delivered by a supplier in addition to the core requirements of a contract. Both approaches are of value to the Council.
Why consider and deliver Social Value?
Because it is the right thing to do to improve the lives of residents within our local communities, helping the Council deliver against its corporate priorities.
The Council recognises that as financial pressures continue to rise in the public sector and demand for services continues to grow, it is now more important than ever that we think differently when we spend public money. Therefore we need to continually ask:
- What is important to the local community?
- How can we deliver services differently in a way that will impact positively on the local community and the environment?
- How can we support local businesses?
- How can we work better together to engage those people who are hard to reach?
- What are the current local challenges faced that could be better resolved by working together with our communities?
The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 requires public bodies operating solely in England to give due consideration to the inclusion of Social Value when commissioning goods, services, and works to which the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 apply. The Act does not alter the procurement process, however, it ensures that the public sector gives due consideration to the wider impact (social, economic, and environmental) of the requirements to be delivered.
What is the Council doing?
Take a look at what we are doing to drive Social Value from Council contracts.
We have developed a Social value Procurement Framework and Social Value Guidance.
What can suppliers / bidders do?
See what you can do to support the Council in delivering real Social Value outcomes for its communities.