For many tech suppliers, that’s a problem. Not because they don’t care about social impact, but because the guidance on what evaluators actually want to see is rarely clear until it’s too late.
This article covers what Social Value means in the context of public sector procurement, why it matters more now than it did even two years ago, and what you should be thinking about if it’s part of your bid responses.
What is Social Value in public sector procurement?
Social Value refers to the wider economic, social and environmental benefits that a project or contract can deliver beyond the immediate goods or services being procured. In practice, this means the public sector wants to know what else you’re bringing to the table: job creation, sustainability commitments, community engagement, diversity and inclusion, support for local economies.
The Social Value Act 2012 first introduced the requirement for public sector organisations to consider social value in procurement decisions. Since then, it has moved from a consideration to a core part of how bids are evaluated and scored.
Why does it matter more now?
Two things have changed.
First, the Procurement Act 2023 (now in force) has reinforced the importance of social value across public sector procurement. While the Act covers much broader ground than social value alone, it has raised the bar on what buyers expect to see from suppliers. The days of vague commitments and generic statements are over.
Second, the weighting given to Social Value in bid evaluations has increased significantly. On some frameworks and contracts, Social Value now carries up to 20% of the overall evaluation score. That’s not a tie-breaker. That’s a deciding factor.
If your Social Value response is weak, generic or poorly evidenced, you’re not just missing out on a few extra marks. You could be losing contracts to competitors whose technical offering is no stronger than yours, but whose Social Value response gave evaluators something concrete to score.
What does this mean for tech suppliers specifically?
Technology companies are well placed to deliver meaningful Social Value, but many don’t realise it. If your product or service improves access to public services, reduces operational waste, supports digital inclusion or creates skilled jobs, those are Social Value outcomes you can write into your bid responses.
The challenge is articulating this in a way that evaluators can score. Most tech suppliers are good at describing what their product does. Fewer are good at translating that into the language of social impact, and that’s where marks are lost.
If you’re already on a framework and bidding for call-off contracts, your Social Value response needs to be tailored to each opportunity. A generic, copied response will be obvious to evaluators and will score accordingly.
If you’re not yet selling to the public sector but planning to, getting your Social Value approach right from the outset will save you time and lost bids later. It’s far easier to build this into your business now than to retrofit it when you’re under pressure to submit.
Where to start
If Social Value feels overwhelming, start with what you’re already doing. Most businesses have some form of community engagement, environmental policy or skills development that they simply haven’t documented or structured for a bid response.
The gap is usually in evidence and measurement, not in intent. If you can demonstrate what you’ve done, quantify the impact, and show how you’ll do the same (or more) on the contract you’re bidding for, you’re already ahead of most competitors.
In a follow-up article, we’ll look at what evaluators actually score in Social Value responses and the common mistakes that cost suppliers marks without them realising. For now, the important thing is understanding that this is a commercial issue, not just a compliance one.
Want practical advice on getting this right?
We’re running a free webinar on Tuesday 14th July (11am to 12pm) with our bid team and Neighbourly, a platform that helps organisations evidence and measure their Social Value commitments.
The session covers what evaluators look for, how to build credible and measurable responses, and common mistakes that cost suppliers marks without them knowing.
