While social value weighting may account for 10%, 20%, or even 30% of a tender score, its influence often extends far beyond the percentage shown in the evaluation criteria.
When technical responses are comparable and pricing is competitive, social value can be the deciding factor between winning and losing a contract.
Yet many suppliers continue to lose marks for the same reasons: vague commitments, unrealistic promises, weak evidence, and a failure to demonstrate measurable outcomes.
During a recent VisibleThread webinar, we were joined by Joanna Dalgreen, Head of Social Value and Social Return on Investment at Waltham Forest Council, and Caroline Richardson, Divisional Head of Social Value at Vistry Group, who shared practical insights into what evaluators look for, common mistakes suppliers make, and how organisations can create social value commitments that stand up to scrutiny.
Missed the session or want to revisit the discussion? Watch the webinar recording here.
What Is Social Value in Procurement?
At its simplest, social value is the additional economic, social and environmental benefit generated through the delivery of a contract.
The concept has evolved significantly since the introduction of the Social Value Act in 2012 and has become increasingly embedded in public sector procurement through initiatives such as PPN 06/20 and the Procurement Act.
Today, buyers are increasingly evaluating suppliers not only on what they will deliver, but on the wider impact they will create.
That impact might include:
- Creating employment opportunities
- Supporting local businesses
- Improving skills and education
- Reducing inequalities
- Strengthening community wellbeing
- Delivering environmental improvements
For suppliers, the question is no longer whether social value matters. The question is how effectively you can demonstrate it.
Every piece of work creates impact. The question is whether we're intentional about creating the right impact."
Why Social Value Is Becoming a Deciding Factor in Tender Evaluations
Many organisations still view social value as a compliance requirement. Leading procurement teams increasingly view it as a strategic differentiator. Social value helps buyers assess:
- Long-term community benefits
- Local economic impact
- Supplier commitment to place-based outcomes
- Delivery credibility
- Alignment with organisational priorities
This is particularly important when multiple bidders achieve similar technical and commercial scores. In these situations, social value often becomes the differentiator that influences the final decision.
As Caroline Richardson noted during the webinar, social value may account for 10% of the scoring criteria, but it frequently plays a much larger role in the overall perception of a supplier’s suitability.
What Buyers Want to See in Tender Responses
One of the biggest misconceptions in bid writing is that buyers want the largest commitments. In reality, evaluators are usually looking for four things:
- Local Relevance
Does the commitment address genuine local priorities?
Generic promises rarely score highly. Buyers want to see evidence that suppliers understand the communities affected by the contract. - Credibility
Can the supplier realistically deliver what they are promising?
Overly ambitious commitments often create concerns rather than confidence. - Clear Delivery Plans
How will commitments be delivered?
Who is responsible?
Which partners are involved?
How will progress be monitored? - Measurable Outcomes
What difference will actually be made?
The strongest responses move beyond activity and demonstrate tangible impact.
The strongest bids aren't the most ambitious. They're the most believable.
Activity vs Outcomes: The Most Common Social Value Mistake
One of the most common weaknesses in social value tender responses is focusing on activities rather than outcomes. Many submissions describe what the organisation intends to do:
- Deliver workshops
- Offer volunteering days
- Attend community events
- Support local charities
While valuable, these activities do not explain the impact created. Consider the difference:
- Activity
“We will provide financial mentoring workshops to local charities.” - Outcome
“Participating charities will improve financial planning and operational resilience.” - Impact
“Local charities will become more sustainable and increase services available to community members.”
Buyers increasingly score based on outcomes and impact rather than activity alone.
Why Social Value Responses Lose Marks
After evaluating hundreds of tender submissions, Joanna highlighted several recurring issues.
- Vague Commitments
Statements such as: “We are committed to supporting local communities.”, provide little information for evaluators to assess. Buyers need evidence, delivery plans, and measurable outcomes. - Unrealistic Targets
Some suppliers chase the highest-value commitments available within frameworks such as TOMS without considering delivery feasibility. Large numbers alone do not create stronger responses. Unrealistic numbers often raise concerns around credibility. - Missing Evidence
Many suppliers have excellent examples of previous social value delivery but fail to include them in their submission. Evaluators can only score what is written in front of them. - No Implementation Plan
A commitment without a delivery plan creates uncertainty.
Strong responses explain:- What will be delivered
- How it will be delivered
- Who will deliver it
- How success will be measured
Why SMEs Often Have an Advantage in Social Value Procurement
A common assumption is that social value favours large organisations.
In practice, SMEs frequently have strengths that buyers value highly.
These include:
- Deep local knowledge
- Existing community relationships
- Understanding of local priorities
- Established partnerships
- Greater flexibility in delivery
Many buyers place significant emphasis on qualitative responses, not just monetised values. This creates opportunities for SMEs to compete effectively through relevance, credibility, and community understanding. Relevance often matters more than scale.
Turn Existing Expertise Into Community Impact
One of the most practical recommendations from the webinar was to stop viewing social value as a separate programme. Instead, organisations should identify the expertise they already possess and consider how it can benefit local communities.
Examples include:
- Finance Teams
Supporting charities with budgeting, financial planning and governance. - HR Teams
Delivering employability workshops, CV reviews and interview preparation. - Legal Professionals
Providing community legal education and pro bono support. - Business Leaders
Mentoring local entrepreneurs and small businesses.
The most sustainable social value initiatives are often built around capabilities that already exist within the organisation.
The Importance of Measuring Outcomes and Impact
Many organisations underestimate the importance of reporting. Without measurement, valuable outcomes are often lost. Consider these two examples:
- Output
“We delivered 24 employee volunteering days.” - Outcome
“Our finance team helped a local charity identify £24,000 in annual annual savings.”
The second example provides measurable evidence of impact. Strong reporting improves:
- Future tender responses
- Stakeholder engagement
- Internal buy-in
- Contract reporting
- Community impact visibility
Organisations that consistently measure outcomes create stronger social value stories over time.
Does a 10% Social Value Weighting Really Matter?
Yes. Many suppliers underestimate the importance of a 10% weighting. In reality, social value frequently becomes the deciding factor when bidders achieve similar scores elsewhere. Even where social value weighting appears relatively small, its influence on buyer perception can be significant.
Strong social value responses demonstrate:
- Commitment
- Credibility
- Community understanding
- Delivery capability
- Long-term partnership potential
These factors influence evaluation outcomes far beyond the numerical weighting.
Six Ways to Improve Your Social Value Tender Responses
Before submitting your next bid, ask yourself:
- Does the response align with local priorities?
- Have we provided evidence of previous delivery?
- Are our commitments realistic?
- Have we focused on outcomes rather than activities?
- Is there a clear implementation plan?
- Have we explained how impact will be measured?
If the answer to any of these questions is no, there may be opportunities to strengthen your response.
Key Takeaway
Social value is no longer a standalone section in a tender response. It is a strategic evaluation criterion that increasingly influences procurement decisions. The suppliers achieving the strongest results are not necessarily making the biggest promises. They are demonstrating local understanding, measurable outcomes, credible commitments and clear delivery plans.
The future of social value procurement belongs to organisations that can prove not only what they will do, but what difference their delivery will make.
Frequently Asked Questions About Social Value in Tenders
What is social value in procurement?
Social value refers to the wider economic, social and environmental benefits created through the delivery of a contract beyond the core goods or services being purchased.
How is social value scored in tenders?
Social value is typically assessed against criteria such as local relevance, community impact, deliverability, measurable outcomes and alignment with buyer priorities.
What is a good social value response?
A strong social value response includes realistic commitments, evidence of previous success, measurable outcomes, clear delivery plans and alignment with local needs.
Does social value help win bids?
Yes. Social value increasingly acts as a differentiator in public sector procurement and frequently influences contract award decisions.
What are common social value mistakes?
Common mistakes include vague commitments, unrealistic targets, insufficient evidence, weak measurement approaches and a lack of delivery planning.
How VisibleThread Helps Teams Strengthen Tender Responses
Creating persuasive social value responses requires clarity, evidence, compliance and consistency.
VisibleThread helps bid and proposal teams identify gaps, improve response quality, strengthen compliance and develop more compelling submissions that align with evaluation criteria.
