© Tay Aziz
Embedding social value to meet public procurement criteria
Under the Social Value Act, public bodies must consider how the services they commission improve the wellbeing of local communities. For businesses bidding for public contracts, demonstrating clear, locally relevant social value is essential to stand out to public sector buyers.
The Wildlife Trusts help organisations embed social value in their bids, offering businesses the opportunity to fund and collaborate on place-based projects that directly align with framework agreements and recognised social value models, such as Themes, Outcomes, and Measures (TOMs). These projects can be local to the contract area or part of a wider programme across the country.
Our programmes are designed to deliver measurable, lasting outcomes, helping organisations meet their social value commitments and reporting obligations with confidence.
Our initiatives go far beyond surface-level engagement. They are actively supporting individuals in maintaining good physical and mental health, and addressing challenges such as loneliness, inactivity, and poor wellbeing. By participating, businesses not only contribute to nature’s recovery but also demonstrate meaningful impact in line with public sector procurement expectations.
Strengthen your bids for public tenders
We help bid teams design and deliver social value that is material to their projects and ensures lasting impact. For high-value or multi-region bids, we coordinate delivery through our national network of projects. For local tenders, we match proposals with place-based initiatives that align with community needs.
By getting involved early, we ensure your social value offer is strategically aligned, locally relevant, and compelling to commissioners. Whether you're aiming to improve health and wellbeing, boost green skills, create nature-rich spaces, or increase community nature-engagement, we’ll help you identify the right projects and set clear, measurable outcomes.
© Nick Upton
Beyond broadband: delivering social value alongside digital connectivity
Telecommunications network provider CityFibre is upgrading internet infrastructure for over 1.3 million premises - mainly in rural and remote parts of England - through Project Gigabit, a government-backed programme led by Building Digital UK (BDUK), part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
The Wildlife Trusts is working with CityFibre to bring social value to communities alongside digital connectivity, as part of an ongoing four-year programme.
Discover more about this partnership
Social value with The Wildlife Trusts
With a federated structure and local presence, The Wildlife Trusts has vast experience of working within communities and monitoring our projects to ensure they deliver measurable results for people, partners and nature, both locally and at scale. See below for some examples of our programmes.
© Paul Harris/2020VISION
What is the Social Value Act?
The 2012 Social Value Act, which came into force in 2013, mandates that public bodies must consider how the services they commission and procure can enhance the economic, social, and environmental well-being of the local area. The principle behind social value is to ensure that public spending delivers broader, long-term benefits and drives sustainable outcomes.
The Crown Commercial Service defines social value in procurement as “ensuring that public spending generates additional economic, social and environmental benefits beyond just the goods or services being procured.”
In 2025, the Social Value Act was further strengthened to put more emphasis on the importance of social impact for a bid’s success.
What does central government consider for public procurement?
In February 2025, the Government introduced a new Social Value Model for Central Government bodies, including executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies, to implement in procurement. The model defines five key missions and eight intended outcomes that social value initiatives should aim to achieve, many of which projects from Wildlife Trusts can support on.
What does local government consider as part of public procurement?
Various councils have created a social value strategy for potential suppliers to understand how they will consider social value within their procurement decision making. You can find out more on the Local Government Associaton website.
Does social value apply in the devolved nations?
Yes, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales each have distinct approaches to social value, shaped by their respective regional legislations.
Across the UK—except for Scotland—social value must account for at least 10% of a procurement’s total award criteria, though contracting authorities have the discretion to increase this weighting.
What are social impact disclosures?
Social impact disclosures are also an increasingly important part of corporate operations and Environmental Social and Governmental (ESG) strategies and bring wider business benefits such as employee and customer engagement. Many UK businesses operating in the EU are also obliged to report on the impact of corporate activities on the environment and society, as per the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
What is the CSRD?
Since January 2023 in the EU, all large companies and all listed companies must comply with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and share information about the risks and opportunities they perceive in social and environmental issues, as well as the effects of their activities on people and the environment. Under certain conditions, the CSRD also applies to UK companies operating in the EU.
How might investing in social impact benefit my business?
The ‘Social’ element of ESG strategies is likely to become a lot more prominent due to legislative requirements in the UK and EU that businesses demonstrate social value. Acting now and partnering with The Wildlife Trusts can help your organisation stay ahead in an evolving policy landscape. Additionally, delivering imact for nature and communities brings new avenues of employee and customer engagement for your business.
How can The Wildlife Trusts help with my public contract bid or social impact disclosures?
Suppliers to government are being urged to work with VCSEs (Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises) like The Wildlife Trusts for their bids. The Wildlife Trusts can support your organisation with expert guidance and tailored resources to meet social value requirements. Drawing on our extensive knowledge and partnerships, we help you address community-specific needs while strengthening your proposal or strategy.
Our federated structure combines local expertise with national reach. With a pipeline of impactful, local projects across the country, our partnerships tangible benefits to communities, enhancing its credibility and appeal.
To further support your success, we provide comprehensive reports, case studies, and other materials that quantify social value. These resources are available early in the process, helping to give your bid a competitive edge.
