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How to answer the social value question

Most public tenders now ask what extra good your contract will do for the area: jobs, skills, local spending, the environment. It's usually worth 5% to 15% of the marks, and it's where small local firms can beat big ones, if they answer it properly.

The short version: offer a few specific, measurable things that fit this contract and this area, that you can actually deliver at your size, and say how you'll report on them. Whatever you promise usually becomes part of the contract.

1. Why it's there and how much it counts

The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 asks public buyers to think about the wider social, economic and environmental benefits of what they buy. Central government buyers must give social value at least 10% of the total score (under procurement policy note PPN 002, which replaced PPN 06/20 in 2025). Councils, the NHS and housing associations set their own approach. In tenders we read in October 2026, the weighting ranged from 5% (a town council building job, scored as "added value and environmental considerations") to 15% (a council care service).

Some buyers also set a minimum score: a weak social value answer can rule out the whole bid, whatever the price. Check the scoring guide.

2. Read exactly what they're asking

Buyers usually name the outcomes they care about, sometimes from their own social value policy or a measurement framework such as the National TOMs. Answer those, not a general list. If the question says "local employment and skills in the borough", a promise about national charity donations scores little.

3. What a small firm can realistically offer

Local jobs: recruit for this contract locally, or from groups the buyer names (care leavers, people out of work for a long time, veterans).
Skills: an apprentice, work experience places, or talks at a local school or college.
Pay: paying at least the Real Living Wage to staff on the contract, if you do.
Local spending: buying materials and sub-contracting from local small firms, with a rough share you'll aim for.
Community time: a set number of volunteer hours a year for a local group connected to the work.
Environment: lower-emission vehicles, shorter routes, less waste, recycling rates. For large central government contracts a carbon reduction plan may be required. For small ones, practical steps you'll measure are enough.

4. How to write it

Specific and measurable: "one apprentice recruited from the borough within six months of the start date" beats "we support young people".
Proportionate: a promise you can't keep becomes a contract breach. Two or three real commitments beat ten vague ones.
Linked to this contract: show how each one comes from doing this work, in this place.
Evidence: one sentence on what you've already done ("we took on two local apprentices in 2025, both still with us").
Reporting: say what you'll measure, how often you'll report it, and who's responsible.

5. A worked example

A made-up five-person grounds maintenance firm, bidding for a council parks contract with a 10% social value weighting, asked about "local employment and the environment":

Local employment. We will recruit the two additional operatives this contract needs from within the borough, advertised through the council's jobs service. Within the first year we will take on one apprentice (Level 2 Horticulture) from the borough. We did this in 2025: our apprentice now leads a crew.

Environment. Two of our three vans will be electric by month six of the contract. All green waste will go to the council's composting site, which we will report each quarter as tonnes collected and composted.

Reporting. Our director will report these figures in the quarterly contract meeting: local hires, apprentice progress, electric van share, tonnes composted.

Stuck on a social value question? Send me the tender link and tell me roughly what your firm already does locally. I'll suggest two or three commitments that fit the buyer's question and your size, free.

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General information, not legal advice. Always follow the buyer's own question, scoring guide and social value policy.