By thinking strategically community benefits can deliver social value for the community and economic value for your business.
By Sarah Stone, October 2018
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1. Align your offer with both the contract and the procurer's strategic objectives
What is the contract you are bidding for and what are the social and economic objectives of the procuring organisation? To score maximum points your community benefit offer needs to fit the nature of the contract and help the procurer achieve their strategic objectives.
Most procurers will specify what their key priorities are in the tender but reading their strategic plans will also help you identify them.
Most procurers will specify what their key priorities are in the tender but reading their strategic plans will also help you identify them.
2. Think laterally in order to identify the community that needs a benefit
If the tender is for products or services which aren’t location-specific it can be difficult to identify who or where to deliver your benefit. The word ‘community’ doesn’t necessarily mean that the benefit has to be focused on a specific geographical location.
Take the product or service you are tendering for as a starting point and then think laterally about who the ‘community’ might be. Who are the people who are going to be using your products and what might their needs be?
Take the product or service you are tendering for as a starting point and then think laterally about who the ‘community’ might be. Who are the people who are going to be using your products and what might their needs be?
3. Identify a Third Sector delivery partner.
There are thousands of fabulous social enterprises, charities and grassroots organisation that are working hard and actively making a significant impact in communities all over Scotland. Organisations like Social Enterprise Scotland, the School for Social Entrepreneurs and Social Firms Scotland are all great sources to use.
Once you’ve identified the community you want to benefit find a third sector organisation who is already offering effective support to this community.
Once you’ve identified the community you want to benefit find a third sector organisation who is already offering effective support to this community.
4. Remember that the most impactful benefits aren’t always delivered in cash.
Once you’ve found a third sector organisation to help you deliver the benefit find ways you can work with them. Be creative. Ask them what do you have that they need?
Could you buy products from them or embed them in your supply chain? Do they need professional expertise to help their business grow? Could your marketing department help a charity with its website or social media campaign? Could your CEO mentor the boss of a social enterprise in your relevant sector?
Your offer needs to be sustainable and commercially viable for your business so that doesn't always mean offering cash.
Could you buy products from them or embed them in your supply chain? Do they need professional expertise to help their business grow? Could your marketing department help a charity with its website or social media campaign? Could your CEO mentor the boss of a social enterprise in your relevant sector?
Your offer needs to be sustainable and commercially viable for your business so that doesn't always mean offering cash.
5. State the impact.
Whatever community benefit you offer your bid needs to be clear about its impact. State empirically how many people will benefit and what the economic value of your contribution will be worth to a community.
This is an area where third sector organisations will be able to assist you – they know how many people they help and what a difference their work makes to people’s lives and will be able to give you tangible metrics that you can incorporate into your bid.
This is an area where third sector organisations will be able to assist you – they know how many people they help and what a difference their work makes to people’s lives and will be able to give you tangible metrics that you can incorporate into your bid.
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