Social Value

A cleaning contract can deliver more than clean buildings, since it may offer fair jobs, training and lower waste, and those wider outcomes can be described as social value when they are relevant and measurable. The UK government Social Value Model is one formal procurement example, asking in-scope buyers to choose outcomes related to the contract and use proportionate, non-discriminatory criteria, while other jurisdictions use different frameworks.

Start with beneficiaries by asking who gains or loses from the activity, because workers, customers, neighbours and the environment may be affected differently. Define the outcome, since 'Support community' is too vague and the improvement sought should be specific, such as accredited training or less waste.

Separate input from result: money spent on training is an input, while people gaining skills or better jobs are possible outcomes, and both should be measured where useful. Connect the commitment to the contract, because a bidder should propose benefits it can deliver through the work, not unrelated charitable promises designed to earn points.

Set a baseline by knowing what would happen without the initiative, so existing activity is not counted as a new contract benefit without explanation. Use practical metrics such as jobs created, apprenticeships, local supplier spend and emissions reductions, each with a clear definition, and check quality, because ten short courses do not necessarily have the same value as one useful qualification and numbers alone can mislead.

Avoid double counting by setting attribution rules, so two suppliers do not both claim the same job or reduction as entirely their own. Consider unintended harm, since a local sourcing target could exclude capable suppliers unfairly or raise costs without benefit, so design criteria carefully.

Include accessibility, so that benefits reach people who face barriers where that fits the project and local law, and engage communities, because people living with the outcome can identify needs the buyer overlooked and consultation should be meaningful, not ceremonial. Price the commitment too, as training, cleaner equipment or safer work practices cost money and a credible bid accounts for delivery resources.

Assign ownership by naming who will deliver, collect evidence and correct underperformance, because social value cannot live only in a bid writer's paragraph. Put it in the contract, agreeing reporting and remedies that fit the obligation if the tender scores commitments, since otherwise promises are hard to verify, and check the reporting burden because small suppliers may struggle with complex templates and proportionate measures can improve competition.

Choose a time horizon, as some outcomes arise during delivery while others appear later, and do not claim long-term benefit immediately without evidence. Use evidence such as payroll records, training completions and waste tickets, while protecting personal information, and avoid inflated monetisation, since turning every benefit into currency can create false precision unless a credible method supports the estimate.

Compare bids fairly with published, consistently scored criteria, because the cheapest bid is not automatically the best but the highest promise is not automatically credible, and give 'local' a defined boundary and rationale, since the relevant area may be the worksite or affected community. For owners, social value is a way to make wider consequences visible, and it works best when the outcomes are relevant, fairly assessed and delivered, sized to the contract, backed by a budget, reviewed over the contract life against commitments and checked with the people who are meant to benefit, because a polished scorecard is not enough if they see no improvement.