Social value has been firmly on the public sector agenda since 2012 when it gained a formal place on the pre-procurement radar of public sector clients with the passing of the Social Value Act. Under the act, social value is considered in three parts: social, economic and environmental. Since 2018 it has moved further up the agenda after even the notoriously dry Treasury green book sought to include social value in its guidance on how to appraise and evaluate projects.

These developments have altered the procurement process as commissioners have been increasingly asked to consider how to get more social value for money out of procurement. They are considering how best to secure wider social, economic and environmental benefits for their area or stakeholders, often as a “by-product” of the original commission. Any tender should therefore target these three parts of social value directly, demonstrating how the practice will enhance social value through each one specifically.

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