Making Social Value Fit

Where social value works best, a few common principles are usually present.

Contextual design

Commitments are shaped around the nature of the contract and the structure of the market, rather than applied uniformly across very different procurement scenarios.

Proportionate expectations

Suppliers are asked to contribute in ways that are realistic for their size, role, and position in the supply chain, enabling broader participation without unnecessary burden.

Alignment with delivery models

Social value commitments reflect how work is actually delivered — whether through direct employment, specialist subcontracting, innovation, or long-term programme delivery.

These principles help ensure that social value does not feel like a separate or imposed requirement, but an integrated part of delivery.

Complex Supply Chains and Cumulative Impact

In sectors such as renewable energy and major infrastructure programmes, the importance of fit becomes even more pronounced. Social value is rarely delivered by a single organisation; it emerges through the combined efforts of multiple specialist suppliers operating across different tiers.

In these contexts, making social value fit means:

• Recognising different contribution points across the supply chain

• Designing commitments that can be shared and coordinated

• Enabling cumulative impact rather than isolated actions

• Supporting consistency while allowing flexibility at tier level

This approach strengthens both delivery confidence and overall impact.

From Frameworks to Outcomes

The evolution of social value policy is an ongoing process. Each iteration brings greater clarity, stronger integration with procurement, and improved focus on delivery and contract management.

The next step in that evolution is not about reshaping policy, but about supporting its application — ensuring that social value commitments fit naturally within real procurement environments and can be delivered with confidence.

When this happens, social value moves beyond compliance. It becomes embedded, credible, and capable of delivering the long-term socio-economic and environmental benefits that public procurement is intended to achieve.

A Shared Journey

Making social value fit is a shared endeavour. It relies on collaboration between policymakers, contracting authorities, suppliers, and advisers — each playing a role in translating ambition into practice.

The policy direction is strong.
The ambition is clear.

Our collective opportunity lies in shaping social value so that it fits the real world of procurement — and in doing so, maximises the positive impact of public spending for communities across the UK.

Author: Omar Hadjel MCIM