Social Value used to be an afterthought in construction tenders — a box to tick in the "other considerations" section, scored at 5% and rarely read closely. That era is over.
Since PPN 06/20 made Social Value mandatory in all central government procurement (minimum 10% weighting), and local authorities, NHS trusts, and housing associations followed with their own Social Value frameworks, the minimum weighting is now 10–20% on most public sector construction contracts. On some contracts — particularly those with community regeneration or place-based outcomes — Social Value carries 25–30% of the total score.
This guide covers what Social Value evaluators actually want to see, how to write commitments that score, and — critically — how to build Social Value evidence before your next tender submission.
What Social Value Actually Means in Construction Tenders
Social Value in construction procurement is the measurement of social, economic, and environmental benefits delivered to local communities as a result of the contract being delivered. Not just employment — though jobs and apprenticeships are part of it — but a broader set of commitments and outcomes including:
- Economic wellbeing: Local employment, local procurement, apprenticeships, skills training
- Social wellbeing: Community benefit, wellbeing initiatives, charitable giving, social enterprise
- Environmental sustainability: Carbon reduction, biodiversity net gain, circular economy, material provenance
- Equality and inclusion: Diverse workforces, supply chain diversity, accessible employment pathways
- Community outcomes: Schools engagement, STEM outreach, community asset creation
The key word is outcomes, not intentions. Evaluators are trained to spot generic commitments with no delivery mechanism. The difference between scoring 8/10 and 4/10 on Social Value is specificity and credibility.
The Mandatory UK Social Value Frameworks You Need to Know
PPN 06/20 (Central Government)
Procurement Policy Note 06/20 applies to all central government departments, agencies, and arm's length bodies. It mandates a minimum 10% Social Value weighting and requires alignment with five themes:
- COVID-19 recovery (now evolving to broader economic resilience post-COVID)
- Tackling economic inequality — jobs, skills, supply chain SMEs
- Fighting climate change — net zero commitments, environmental standards
- Equal opportunity — diverse workforces, accessibility
- Wellbeing — health and wellbeing in the workforce and community
Each tender will specify which themes are prioritised and what metrics they're scoring against. Read this section carefully — there is no universal "right answer."
TOMS (The Outcomes and Metrics System)
TOMS is the most widely used Social Value measurement framework in UK public sector construction procurement, adopted by hundreds of local authorities, NHS trusts, housing associations, and combined authorities. It assigns quantified scores to Social Value commitments, allowing like-for-like comparison between bidders.
TOMS themes:
- Jobs — apprenticeships, local employment, work placements, supported employment
- Growth — local SME spending, Voluntary Community Social Enterprise (VCSE) spend
- Homes — community improvements, housing-adjacent benefits
- Place — local infrastructure, public realm, green spaces
- Health — workforce wellbeing, community health outcomes
When a client uses TOMS, your Social Value commitments are scored numerically. Higher TOMS scores come from higher proportions of local spend, more apprenticeship weeks, more work placements, and quantified community benefits.
Procurement Act 2023 (in force since February 2025)
The Procurement Act 2023 replaced the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and strengthened Social Value requirements across the board. Key implications for construction contractors:
- Social Value assessments must be outcome-focused, not process-focused
- Evaluation criteria must be proportionate and verifiable
- Authorities can now award to the most "economically advantageous" tender, with Social Value as a significant component of that assessment
- Transparency requirements mean your Social Value commitments become contractually binding — failure to deliver has procurement consequences
What High-Scoring Social Value Submissions Look Like
The single most important thing to understand: evaluators read hundreds of tender submissions. They recognise generic text immediately. The submissions that score 8–10/10 have three things in common:
1. Specific, named commitments
- ❌ "We will seek to employ local people where possible"
- ✅ "We will employ a minimum of 60% of site operatives from within a 30-mile radius of the site, verified through address checks on payroll data, reported monthly to the client"
2. A delivery mechanism with accountability
- ❌ "We prioritise supply chain diversity"
- ✅ "Within 30 days of contract award we will submit our Social Value delivery plan including named local suppliers for groundworks, reinforcement, and concrete supply. Our commercial manager will have a KPI for local SME spend at ≥40% of total subcontract value"
3. Evidenced track record from comparable contracts
- ❌ "On previous projects we have delivered Social Value commitments"
- ✅ "On the Riverside Quarter residential scheme (Manchester City Council, 2024), we delivered 14 apprenticeship weeks, 8 work placements for Manchester Adult Education College students, and 38% local subcontract spend verified through invoicing, totalling £1.2m. Client reference: [Name, Title, phone/email]"
This is where your Social Value library — covered below — earns its money.
How to Build a Social Value Evidence Library Before Your Next Tender
Most construction contractors lose Social Value marks because they have nothing to reference. Their commitments are genuine but unverifiable. Start building this now, before the next tender lands.
Step 1: Start measuring on every active project today
For every active contract, track and record:
- Workforce addresses (postcode district is sufficient — no GDPR issues)
- Subcontractor postcode data and SME status
- Apprenticeship weeks (name, qualification, weeks on this project)
- Work placement weeks (name, school/college, dates)
- Volunteering days (from head office and site teams)
- Charitable donation totals attributable to this project
- Community engagement activities (school visits, STEM sessions)
- Waste diversion percentages and volumes (from site waste management plans)
- Carbon data where measured (if you have a carbon footprint tool)
Step 2: Request Social Value sign-off from clients
When a project completes, request a brief written confirmation of Social Value outcomes delivered. A one-paragraph email from the client's contract manager works. This becomes independent verification in future tender submissions.
Step 3: Build your standard Social Value schedule
Create a schedule (a simple spreadsheet works) that converts your typical project size into Social Value commitments:
- Per £1m of contract value: X apprenticeship weeks, Y% local spend, Z work placements
- Standardise the ratios based on what you have delivered and can actually deliver
- Make this your "offer" in tender submissions — adapt upwards for particularly community-focused clients
Step 4: Identify your local supply chain
Map your tier 2 and tier 3 supply chain. Identify which are:
- SMEs (under 250 employees)
- Locally based (within client-defined radius, typically 20–30 miles from site)
- VCSEs (voluntary, community, social enterprise — important in some frameworks)
Knowing your supply chain's local SME percentage is a scoring asset.
Social Value Commitments That Score Well by Contract Type
Local Authority Construction Frameworks
Priorities: local employment, apprenticeships, school engagement, local SME spend. Key commitments:
- Apprenticeship weeks (aim for 1 week per £100k contract value — this is a common TOMS benchmark)
- Local employment target (50–70% from within 15–30 miles)
- School/college engagement (1 site visit or STEM session per school per project)
- Named local subcontractors — even better if you can name them in the submission
NHS Health Infrastructure
Priorities: workforce wellbeing, diverse employment pathways, mental health awareness, supported employment. Key commitments:
- Mental Health First Aid training for site supervisors
- Collaboration with supported employment organisations (e.g., Remploy, Groundwork Trust)
- Partnership with NHS occupational health teams on site wellbeing initiatives
- VCSE spend (charities and social enterprises in the supply chain)
Housing Associations
Priorities: resident employment, financial inclusion, community safety, tenancy sustainment. Key commitments:
- Resident employment pathway (formal agreement to interview residents before external advertising)
- On-site financial wellbeing sessions for residents in partnership with credit unions or CABs
- Named community liaison contacts for resident communication
- Proportion of spend through social enterprises or community businesses
Central Government / MOD
Priorities: economic inequality, climate action, diverse workforces. Key commitments:
- Net zero carbon delivery plan (with milestones, not just aspiration)
- BAME and female workforce targets — with named partners (e.g., Build Force, Women Into Construction)
- Local SME supply chain development programme (include named SMEs and their development plan)
Common Mistakes That Lose Social Value Marks
1. Copying and pasting from a previous submission Evaluators know. The formatting changes give it away. More importantly, you miss the specific requirements of this client's Social Value framework.
2. Committing to things you can't track "We will calculate the economic value generated for the local community." Fine — but how? With what methodology? If you can't say, don't say it.
3. Ignoring the scoring criteria The ITT/tender documents will specify exactly what Social Value will be scored against. Some ask for TOMS scores. Some ask for Social Value £ value (using HM Treasury-approved proxies). Some want commitment narratives mapped to specific themes. Read the criteria. Answer the criteria.
4. No named delivery accountability A commitment without a named owner and a measurement schedule is not credible. "Our MD will personally oversee Social Value delivery, with monthly reports to the client's contract manager" is credible. "We take Social Value seriously" is not.
5. Underselling genuine activity Most construction firms do far more Social Value than they claim in tenders — because they haven't framed it as Social Value. Training operatives? That's skills development. Buying from a local concrete supplier? That's local economic benefit. Using a family-run waste carrier? That's SME supply chain support. Frame it properly.
How Social Value Connects to Your Marketing
There is a direct line between your Social Value delivery record and your tender win rate — and your marketing is the mechanism that connects them.
On your website: A dedicated Social Value page evidencing past delivery (with data and client quotes) signals to procurement teams doing pre-qualification research that you're a serious bidder. We see this accelerate supply chain approvals and framework shortlisting.
On LinkedIn: Construction directors and procurement managers at local authorities and housing associations see Social Value content from contractors differently to other sectors. A post showing 12 apprenticeships completed across a housing scheme gets engagement from exactly the people who score your next tender.
In your case studies: Projects presented as Social Value successes (not just programme and cost) are more persuasive to public sector clients than technical case studies alone. A case study showing you hit 42% local spend and 18 apprenticeship weeks alongside programme delivery tells a complete story.
In your Google Business Profile: For frameworks and local authority work, procurement managers sometimes check local reputation as part of vetting. Reviews mentioning community impact and apprenticeships provide social proof that reinforces Social Value commitments.
Getting Support With Your Social Value Strategy
If your Social Value submissions are generic, if you're not tracking what you actually deliver, or if your tender scores are consistently weak on Social Value — that's a fixable problem.
Market Maestro works with construction contractors to build Social Value evidence libraries, develop credible commitment frameworks, and create the website and LinkedIn content that signals Social Value leadership to procurement teams before any tender is opened.
Book a free 15-minute audit and we'll show you exactly where your current Social Value positioning is costing you marks — and what you can do about it before your next submission.