Did you know that by improving your social value score, you could add significant margin to your contracts? Discover tips and takeaways to help you win while making a difference.
Maximse your scores while making a difference
In today's competitive bidding landscape, social value has become a critical component for winning contracts. Laurence Higgens, a social value expert, recently shared his insights on this topic during a briefing given to the SP team. This blog explores the key points discussed and provides actionable advice for bid and proposal managers to help maximise evaluation scores in bids and make a real difference to the customer and their communities.
Understanding social value
We need to solve society's issues together. That means you as suppliers working closer and better with your customers to effect change. As the pressure on public sector bodies to deliver social value impact builds, buyer's expectations will grow. This encompasses the broader impact of an organisation's activities on society, the economy, and the environment. Laurence emphasised that social value is not just a buzzword but a crucial element that contracting authorities are increasingly prioritising. This shift is driven by government policies and the growing expectation for businesses to contribute positively to society.
Key takeaways from the briefing
Social value's impact on price:
Laurence highlighted the importance of integrating social value into bids from the outset. This involves understanding the specific social value requirements of the contracting authority, localising your approach, and tailoring your proposal accordingly. Let's quantify that. Imagine you win a £10m government opportunity by 1% - scoring 50/60 on quality, 6/10 on ESG, and 26/30 on price. You could have added £1.33m to your price and still won if you'd maximised your ESG score!
Collaboration with stakeholders:
Successful social value delivery often requires collaboration with various stakeholders, including local communities, non-profits, and other businesses. Laurence shared examples of how having the right partnerships can enhance social value outcomes. To do this, bidders need to invest time to understand what will have the biggest impact on a local community, and which partners can help deliver the associated outcome.
Measuring social value:
Laurence discussed the importance of measuring and reporting social value. This not only demonstrates your commitment but also provides tangible evidence of your impact. You need to match how the contracting authority measures social value with what you bid. Unclear descriptions of how you'll report the aligned outcome makes your offer seem non-committal and reduces the buyer's confidence in your ability to deliver meaningful outcomes.
To learn more about how to incorporate social value into your bids and improve your chances of winning contracts via our free-of-charge assessment, get in touch via our contact form and we'll take you through how we can help you maximise your social value impact.
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