Business must ‘get serious’ about social value
By Sarah Stone
Published across local news outlets - June 2024
Speaking on the latest Let’s Talk Social Value podcast, hosted by social value agency Samtaler, they said Businesses in the UK should “get serious” about social value as the public sector increases its use of the policy when deciding on successful contract awards.
🎙️ Related Content:
Social value has long been a crucial element of public sector procurement, but a podcast has now heard how its role is increasing in importance, adding that the private sector is catching up on the trend too.
Two members of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) UK social value working group, which is part of the 3,000 UK Chapter, appeared on Let’s Talk Social Value, a podcast hosted by leading social value agency Samtaler.
The group’s chair Sarah Hinchliffe said that social value was no longer an issue that could be “off to the side or something you do at the end” and that it was increasingly making the difference between winning and losing a contract.
And group member Angela Benson added businesses who want to improve their social value offering should put more effort into engaging with potential clients on their social value demands.
Social value is described as the positive impact companies can have on the people and places where they operate.
It can take the form of prioritising the hiring of local people and using nearby suppliers, working to reduce carbon emissions, supporting the wellbeing of staff, and providing skills and training opportunities.
Sarah Hinchliffe, chair of the APMP UK Social Value Working Group, said:
“Social value is now very much part of everyday life, and it’s in virtually every public sector bid.
“People have to get serious about it if they want to bid in the public sector.
“And what we are finding is in the private sector we are starting to see social value creeping in as a contract-specific matter, and they are looking to the public sector to see how it’s been implemented and looking there for best practice in implementing social value.
“Our first piece of advice is to regard the social value section as just another part of the bid and treat in the same way as you would any other part.
“From the beginning, you have to make sure you understand the story you are going to tell.
“That’s why you need a social value strategy, story and approach for a particular bid.
“You have to set out the commitment you’re going to make, its delivery, and the impact you are going to have.
“The idea that social value is something off on the side, something you do at the end, is completely wrong; you need to bring it right in as a core part.
“It could be the difference between winning and losing a procurement bid.”
Angela Benson, group committee member, said:
“Research is highly encouraged. Understand your buyer, understand their priorities and look at anything they put out around their social value strategy and what they’re looking at.
“Draw them out, ask them about social value, what their approach is and what they find interesting and important.
“The trap the private sector falls into is there is a lot of marketing speak – nice, fluffy answers about social impact which don’t always make the grade.”
Sarah Stone, director of Samtaler, said:
“Social value is becoming an increasingly important factor when it comes to successfully bidding for work.
“That’s not just in the public sector, where it’s been established for a while, but now in the private sector too.
“With a bit of time and effort, a great social value offer can often be what seals the deal for a successful bid.”