The social value shift: from optional to operational

Over the past five years, social value has gone from a consideration in public sector tenders to a formal evaluation criterion that can make or break your bid. Scoring frameworks such as the UK Government’s Social Value Model (PPN 06/20) have raised expectations. Not only in terms of what suppliers commit to, but also how they plan, measure and report their impact.

Yet despite this shift, social value is still treated as a bolt-on by many organizations. It’s a well-intentioned section within a sea of technical content. And too often, it lands on someone’s desk (or inbox) days before the submission deadline, with the vague instruction: “Can you add something on social value here?”

This isn’t just inefficient; it’s risky. It undermines the quality of your submission, devalues your internal expertise and leaves points on the table.

It’s time senior leaders in the bid and proposal community gave social value the strategic priority it deserves, as well as the structure and planning it needs to succeed.

The real problem: social value isn’t always centralized – but it can be coordinated through collaboration

What makes social value content different from other bid inputs is that it rarely lives in one department. Without social value leads or a central team for it, expect to navigate a complex landscape of departments, strategies, programs and people.

It sits across HR, ESG and social impact, community engagement, operations, supply chain and sometimes delivery teams on the ground. That makes it rich but also complex.  Collaboration is key to create a strong, joined up response.

Without the right collaboration process in place, here’s what typically happens:

• Bid teams scramble to gather last-minute information
• Subject matter experts (SMEs) respond inconsistently, or not at all
• Promises are made without delivery plans that can create credible place based social value
• Review cycles become chaotic, fragmented and unreconciled
• The final response lacks cohesion, evidence or authenticity

Sound familiar?

Five strategic shifts senior leaders can make

1. Integrate social value early in the bid life-cycle

Social value shouldn’t be treated as a “section” to be completed; it should be a lens applied to the entire bid. That means bringing your ESG and social impact leads into kick-off meetings, opportunity reviews, and content planning from day one. Colleagues will need to be able to provide you with a realistic plan that they can action if the bid is successful, and that means they should have time to research and consider a place-based response to the needs of the buyer..

2. Assign ownership, not just responsibility

It’s not enough to say “someone from ESG will write this.” Who’s accountable for the metrics? Who gathers case studies? Who ensures claims are verifiable?

Assign a clear owner for social value content per bid. This should ideally be someone who can bridge strategy, storytelling and community, and who has direct lines into the teams who deliver the impact.

3. Invest in structured collaboration

Unstructured input-gathering is a time and quality killer. If your SMEs are editing tracked Word docs via email or digging through SharePoint folders with half-written templates, you’re setting them up to fail.

Structured collaboration tools like Ideagen Document Review allow:

• Simultaneous contribution from multiple teams
• Role-based access to comment, edit or approve
• Version control, tracked input and audit trails
• Review progress tracking—all in one place

This isn’t just a tech upgrade. It’s a governance and efficiency upgrade, which is especially important for high-value, multi-stakeholder bids.

4. Turn promises into performance evidence

Senior leaders must close the loop between what gets promised in a bid and what gets delivered on the ground. Social value claims can’t just be aspirational. They must be monitored, measured and reported over time.

That means building an internal library of:

• Delivered social value initiatives (with outcomes)
• Client testimonials or delivery stats
• Before-and-after metrics (e.g. employment, emissions skills)
• Visuals or community feedback where appropriate

This isn’t just useful for compliance. It’s your best asset for future bids.  

5. Champion a culture of authenticity

The best scoring social value content doesn’t just tick boxes but tells a credible, cohesive story with a structured and grounded plan that reflects local needs and shows clearly how commitments will be delivered.  The plan needs substance; real partnerships, defined outcomes and a clear route to delivery and impact. 

When leaders model that authenticity and support the collaboration process, it encourages better content, stronger evidence, and ultimately, better scores.

Final thought: collaboration is the real value driver

As someone who has worked in social impact across sectors, I’ve learned this: The organizations that win on social value are the ones who collaborate best—internally and externally. Not just at a technical level, but culturally and strategically.z

If your bid and proposal teams are still chasing inputs, managing version chaos or cobbling together social value at the last minute, it’s time to take a step back and ask: Is our collaboration fit for purpose?

Because if it’s not, you’re not just risking points. You’re leaving real value on the table.