Social value in procurement has moved from a peripheral consideration to a core element of public sector tender evaluation. For organisations bidding for public sector contracts, it is a scored part of the evaluation that can determine whether you win or lose.

The practical implication is that a technically strong bid with a weak social value response can lose to a comparable bid with strong commitments. Treating social value as an afterthought or a box-ticking exercise results in generic commitments that score poorly.

Social value in procurement is the wider economic, social and environmental benefit a supplier delivers beyond the core contract. In UK public procurement, buyers score it as part of the tender, commonly at 10% or more of the total marks. They expect specific, measurable commitments that are relevant to the contract and reported on during delivery.

What Is Social Value in Procurement?

Social value refers to the positive impact that suppliers create for society beyond the core goods or services they provide. In public procurement, it means a contract should not only meet the immediate requirement but also deliver lasting benefits for communities, the economy and the environment, which buyers then score and monitor.

Public sector buyers usually group these benefits around four areas:

• Economic growth – Supporting local businesses, creating jobs and strengthening regional economies.
• Social inclusion – Promoting diversity, offering opportunities to disadvantaged groups and ensuring fair employment practices.
• Environmental sustainability – Reducing carbon emissions, adopting greener practices and contributing to climate action.
• Community benefits – Volunteering, providing training programmes and supporting education initiatives.

The legal background starts with the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012. It requires public bodies buying services to consider how the contract could improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the area.

The Procurement Act 2023 goes further in practice. Contracting authorities must have regard to maximising public benefit, and contracts are awarded to the most advantageous tender, a test that allows wider benefits to be weighed alongside price. This gives buyers clear room to weigh social value in public procurement decisions.

The Social Value Model

For the purpose of this guide we will use the UK government definitions. The Social Value Model is the tool central government uses to evaluate social value in tenders. It gives buyers a menu of award criteria and a model question to choose from, so that social value in government procurement is assessed consistently.

The model was published in February 2025 with Procurement Policy Note 002, replacing the model introduced under PPN 06/20. It applies to procurements commenced under the Procurement Act 2023 on or after 1 October 2025.

The PPN 002 model is organised around the government's five missions, with eight outcomes beneath them. The missions cover economic growth, clean energy, safer streets, opportunity and the NHS. Buyers select the outcomes most relevant to the contract, and bidders respond only to those.

Central government departments, executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies must give social value a minimum weighting of 10% of the total score. Commitments made in the tender must then be carried into the contract as terms or performance indicators. The policy note does not apply to below-threshold procurements or to MOD defence and security contracts.

A new edition of the model was published in August 2026 with PPN 026, for procurements commenced on or after 1 January 2027. It focuses on two outcomes, good jobs and skills, and applies to contracts of £1m or more. The minimum weighting is 10% below £5m and 20% at £5m or more.

It is always advisable to read which outcomes the buyer has selected before drafting anything. Suppliers new to the model often use specialist social value support to map their commitments to those outcomes.

Need a social value response that scores? Talk to our bid team.

Social Value TOMs and Other Measurement Frameworks

Outside central government, there is no single mandatory social value framework. Local authorities, housing providers and NHS bodies choose their own approach, and the most widely used is TOMs.

TOMs stands for Themes, Outcomes and Measures. The National TOMs were launched in 2017 by Social Value Portal with the National Social Value Taskforce, and have since developed into the Social Value TOM System.

Under the TOMs framework, social value commitments are grouped into themes such as jobs, growth, social, environment and innovation. Within each theme, the framework defines outcomes and measures with proxy values, which allow commitments to be quantified in financial terms. For example, creating an apprenticeship has a defined proxy value, as does volunteering a number of hours in the local community.

The measures typically cover local employment, training, spend with local and small businesses, supplier diversity, volunteering and carbon savings. A supplier's total commitment can then be expressed as a single financial figure and compared with other bids.

Other frameworks are also in use. Some local authorities publish their own social value policy with locally set priorities and measures, and housing providers often use HACT's UK Social Value Bank. Whichever applies, it is worth confirming the buyer's chosen framework before you start, because commitments written for one do not always translate to another.

How Social Value Is Scored in Tenders

Public procurement social value weightings vary by buyer and contract. Central government applies the minimums described above, and the NHS applies a minimum 10% weighting for net zero and social value. Local authorities set their own weightings, and some go well above 10%. The weighting is always stated in the tender documents.

There is no fixed social value uplift on a public sector contract. Some buyers score a written response only. Others also score the total proxy value of your commitments, so the bidder offering the most measurable value gains the most marks.

Whatever the method, most evaluators assess four things:

• Relevance – Whether your commitments relate to the contract and the local area.
• Specificity – Whether they are specific and measurable rather than vague and generic.
• Credibility – Whether you have a track record of delivery and the capacity to fulfil them.
• Proportionality – Whether they are proportionate to the contract value and scope.

Which Metrics Buyers Expect to See

Buyers expect numbers they can hold you to. The most common social value metrics are:

• Local jobs created or sustained, and the number going to priority groups.
• Apprenticeships, work placements and weeks of training delivered.
• Spend with local suppliers, SMEs and voluntary sector organisations.
• Volunteering hours and support given to schools and community groups.
• Carbon emissions and waste reduced over the life of the contract.

How to Write a Strong Social Value Response

The most common mistake in social value responses is making broad commitments that could apply to any organisation bidding for any contract. Statements like "we are committed to sustainability" or "we support local communities" score poorly. Evaluators want to see exactly what you will do, how you will measure it and what it will deliver.

A strong response has four qualities:

• Specific – It states what will be delivered, where, by whom and by when.
• Measurable – It gives a number and a unit, using the buyer's own measures where they are provided.
• Relevant to the contract – It links to the buyer's stated priorities and the work being procured.
• Evidenced – It shows previous delivery, named partners and how progress will be reported.

As a worked example, compare "we will support local employment" with "we will create 10 new apprenticeship roles within the local community in the first 12 months, and report progress quarterly". The second can be scored, written into the contract and checked.

The most effective way to boost social value in bids is to develop a social value strategy for your organisation that can be tailored to each tender. Start by documenting what you already do through local employment, apprenticeships, supply chain practices and community engagement. Then identify the gaps against the themes that appear most often in the tenders you pursue.

Social value procurement requirements now appear in most public sector tenders, so this is not a one-off exercise. It is also one part of the wider bid writing effort. Commitments should be consistent with your method statements, pricing and delivery plan.

Social Value Examples

The right commitments depend on the sector and the buyer. The examples below show what typically scores well.

What Is Social Value in Construction?

Construction has a long history of formal social value evaluation. Requirements typically focus on local employment, apprenticeships, local supply chain spend, community engagement and environmental impact. A typical commitment would set a number of apprenticeship starts and a percentage of subcontract spend within a stated distance of the site.

NHS and Healthcare

NHS procurement places particular emphasis on health and well-being outcomes, fair employment and net zero, with a minimum 10% weighting for net zero and social value. Under the NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap, suppliers are expected to publish a carbon reduction plan, and environmental commitments carry more weight when they are backed by one.

Central Government and Defence

Central government tenders follow the Social Value Model. Common priorities include SME supply chain development, skills and training, and regional economic growth. MOD defence and security contracts sit outside PPN 002, and PPN 026 does not repeat that exclusion, so check how each defence tender treats social value.

Local Authority

Local authority procurement often applies the highest weightings. Commitments that directly benefit the area, including local employment, spend with local suppliers and community engagement, score particularly well. Many councils also link social value to their climate targets, so longer term sustainability planning and an understanding of procurement sustainability will strengthen a response.

Key Takeaway

Social value is a scored part of most public sector tenders, and generic statements do not score. Find out which model or framework the buyer uses, then make specific, measurable commitments that fit the contract and the local area. A standing social value strategy makes this quicker and more credible for every bid.

How Athena Can Help

We help organisations develop their social value strategy, build measurable commitments and write responses that score well in tender evaluations. We assess your current position, document what you already deliver and align it to the Social Value Model, TOMs or the buyer's own framework.

Our approach is designed to minimise the load on your team. We can write the social value response as part of a full bid, or review and strengthen a draft you have already prepared.

Need a social value response that scores? Talk to our bid team.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the typical social value uplift on a public sector contract?

There is no standard uplift. Social value is normally given a weighting in the evaluation, with a 10% minimum in central government and higher figures in some local authorities. Where a buyer uses proxy values, the value of commitments offered varies widely by contract, so follow the tender documents rather than a rule of thumb.

Which platforms help public sector buyers manage social value in procurement?

Buyers use specialist platforms to set measures, collect bidder commitments and track delivery during the contract. Social Value Portal, which is built around TOMs, is used by many local authorities, and other platforms offer similar functions. The tender documents will say which platform applies and how to submit your figures.

Which social value metrics do public sector buyers expect to see?

Buyers expect quantified measures such as local jobs created, apprenticeships and training weeks, spend with local suppliers and SMEs, volunteering hours and carbon reduced. Each should have a number, a unit and a timescale. Where the buyer provides its own list of measures, use those rather than your own.

Which providers manage social value evaluation on behalf of public buyers?

Some buyers evaluate social value in-house, whilst others use a specialist provider, such as Social Value Portal for authorities that use TOMs, to assess the quantitative part of each bid. The tender documents will state who evaluates the response and how the scores are combined.

How do you embed social value into a construction framework agreement?

Set social value requirements at framework level, then repeat them in each call-off in proportion to the project. Define the measures, such as apprenticeship starts and local spend, and include them as key performance indicators with regular reporting. Suppliers should be asked for commitments per project rather than a single promise for the whole framework.

How do you tailor social value commitments to a specific local area?

Read the buyer's corporate plan, social value policy and any local needs analysis before writing. Name the wards, schools, colleges or charities you will work with and recruit from the area the contract serves. Commitments agreed with local partners in advance are more credible than general offers.