Social value clauses are appearing in contracts across the public and private sectors. Here is what that means – and what you can actually do about it.
If you work with the public sector, or increasingly with larger private sector organisations, there’s a good chance you’ve seen the words ‘social value’ appearing in tender documents, contract requirements, or supplier assessments. For many businesses, it triggers an uncomfortable mix of mild panic and vague intention.
What does it actually mean? How do you evidence it? And how do you deliver something genuine – rather than just words on a page – without creating a whole new workload?
These are questions we help businesses answer regularly at Sustainable X. And a recent piece of work we delivered in partnership with Brightly Software and Camden Council is a good example of how social value can be delivered practically, measurably, and in a way that creates real benefit for the communities you work in.
So what is social value – and why is it appearing in your contracts?
Social value is, at its simplest, the positive impact a business creates for people, communities, and the wider economy – beyond the immediate delivery of a product or service. In the UK public sector, it has been a formal procurement requirement since the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012, and since 2020 it has been mandatory to consider social value in central government contracts under the Social Value Model.
But it’s no longer just a public sector issue. Social value is appearing in private sector supplier requirements, investment frameworks, and ESG assessments. Businesses that can evidence genuine social value creation are increasingly better placed in competitive tenders – and those that can’t are beginning to lose ground.
Social value is often measured using frameworks such as TOMs (Themes, Outcomes and Measures) – a nationally recognised system used by many local authorities and public sector bodies to quantify the social and environmental benefit of supplier activity.
The Brightly and Camden example: what practical delivery looks like
In early 2025, Sustainable X worked in partnership with Brightly Software – an award-winning asset management software business and ISO 14001 certified organisation – to deliver on their social value commitments as part of their work with Camden Council.
Camden, like many forward-thinking local authorities, had invested in a sustainability engagement programme for local businesses – helping organisations of all sizes build confidence, capability and resilience as sustainability expectations from customers, funders and supply chains continue to grow.
The approach Brightly and Sustainable X took is worth understanding, because it’s a genuinely replicable model:
- A half-day facilitated sustainability workshop was delivered in January 2025, designed to reduce confusion and overwhelm – and replace it with clarity, confidence and practical next steps.
- The session drew 49 participants from 29 Camden-based businesses across a range of sectors, demonstrating the breadth of local demand for accessible, structured sustainability guidance.
- Post-event feedback showed over 95% of participants agreed the workshop met its objectives, with more than 91% reporting increased knowledge and 92.6% saying they would recommend it to others.
- Beyond the group workshop, Sustainable X also delivered targeted one-to-one support for specific businesses. One example was the London BioScience Innovation Centre (LBIC), which needed structured guidance on Scope 3 emissions monitoring and reporting.
Adam Rasmussen Arda, Operations Manager at LBIC, described the outcome clearly: “Sustainable X helped us gain the clarity and focus we needed to create a structured sustainability plan. We identified the exact steps required to build a comprehensive Scope 3 assessment and now understand exactly what is needed to move forward with confidence.” Read the full case study at Brightly Software’s website.
Why this model works – and what it means for your business
What made this programme effective wasn’t complicated. It was well-structured, locally relevant, and focused entirely on helping businesses take practical next steps rather than overwhelming them with theory.
That’s the approach we believe social value delivery should always take. And it’s directly applicable to businesses of all sizes that are looking for ways to fulfil social value requirements in their own contracts.
If your business has a social value obligation – or wants to build one – here are the types of activities that can genuinely count:
- Delivering free or subsidised skills and knowledge-sharing workshops for local businesses or community organisations in your supply chain area
- Offering structured mentoring, advice or consultancy support to local SMEs or voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations
- Apprenticeships, work experience placements or targeted employment programmes for underrepresented groups
- Partnering with a supplier or local authority to co-fund a sustainability or social value programme that builds community resilience
- Measuring and reporting your social value contribution using a recognised framework such as TOMs, to make your impact visible and credible
The key is structure, evidence and genuine intent
Social value commitments that live only in bid documents don’t serve anyone well. The businesses that are winning on this are the ones that build social value into how they actually operate – and measure it in a way they can stand behind.
That means choosing activities that are genuinely relevant to your business and the communities you work in. It means being clear about what outcomes you’re trying to create. And it means tracking and reporting on what you actually deliver, not just what you promised.
The Brightly and Camden programme is a great example of what this looks like done well – practical, evidenced, and valued by the businesses it supported. And it’s the kind of work that creates a track record your customers and commissioners can actually see.
Ready to build a social value programme that actually delivers?
Sustainable X helps businesses design, deliver, and evidence social value in a way that is credible, proportionate, and genuinely beneficial to the communities they serve. Whether you have a contract requirement to fulfil or want to build social value into your sustainability strategy from the ground up, we’d love to help.
Get in touch at www.sustainablex.co.uk – let’s turn your social value commitment into something real.