Social value now accounts for a minimum of 10% of tender marks – and this is rising. But, to be credible, consistent, and impactful in competitive tenders, social value needs to be embraced across your whole organisation, not just by a bid writer or corporate social responsibility (CSR) lead.
Building internal engagement with social value isn’t just about ticking boxes for commissioners. When done well, it creates a win–win for the organisation. It improves staff satisfaction, wellbeing and purpose, while strengthening your organisation’s competitiveness.
So, how can you get your team on board with social value? How do you move social value from being seen as an ‘extra’ to something that energises your team and enhances delivery?
In this blog, we explore:
- Practical strategies to foster internal engagement with social value
- Why internal buy-in matters for both quality and credibility
- How the right approaches and tools can simplify and amplify your impact
What role do leaders play in driving social value?
Social value initiatives are often perceived as top-down efforts – senior management sets the agenda and teams implement accordingly with little sense of the ‘why’.
Leadership needs to bridge this gap, embracing the concept as a chance to innovate, drive change, and directly contribute to their organisation’s growth and success.
Based on our experience, the most effective leaders:
• Recognise social value as integral to their organisation’s mission with social impact and values sufficiently resourced and seamlessly embedded into the business’s core offer, not as an awkward ‘bolt-on’.
• Demonstrate genuine commitment through direct involvement in initiatives, breaking down perceptions that the work is simply another task for staff to complete.
• Understand the data – social value data is reviewed alongside operational Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), with remediation actions and investment made as needed to drive outstanding performance.
What role do staff play in driving social value?
Social value thrives when your staff ‘own’ the values you are working towards and are empowered to shape how these are delivered. This approach draws upon the expertise and insight they hold into their communities – noting the local focus of social value – and leveraging this to provide innovative and creative activity ideas. By tapping into this, you drive greater enthusiasm, deeper engagement, and a sense of personal ownership among your team members.
Techniques we know work well include:
- Establishing a Social Value Champions Network: Create a structured network of passionate team members who advocate for social value internally. Champions become influential role models, promoting ideas, sharing best practice, and inspiring colleagues through visible enthusiasm and commitment.
- Developing departmental ‘Social Value Maps’: Create plans that identify actions tailored to each team or role; for example, IT teams promoting digital inclusion, procurement prioritising local VCSE partners, or facilities donating surplus furniture.
- Creating an Innovation Fund for staff-generated ideas: Allocate resources specifically to support grassroots projects and ideas generated by staff. Clearly demonstrating that creativity and initiative are valued can motivate teams to put forward innovative, practical proposals.
- Allowing teams to nominate and support causes close to their hearts: Encourage teams to select and engage with local charities or community initiatives they personally connect with. Staff could develop their own social value focused initiatives and activities, enhancing team cohesion, creating stronger ties between personal values, and organisational objectives. This could link in with the Innovation Fund idea.
- Celebrating and recognising contributions regularly: Recognition isn’t just nice, it actively shapes behaviour. Embedding social value into your internal communications through things such as ‘Social Value Spotlight’ features in weekly emails, introducing peer-nominated social value awards and sharing feedback received from your social value beneficiaries all go a long way.
How can K Low Consulting help with demonstrating social value in tenders?
Everything we’ve discussed becomes easier when supported by the right tools. Balloon, our intuitive Social Value Manager platform, is specifically designed to help organisations to
- Measure and Monitor: Get real-time insights into your social value initiatives, tracking progress and demonstrating impact transparently.
- Align with a social value framework: Balloon supports compliance with frameworks such as the National TOMs and the Social Value Model, making reporting easy.
- Create purposeful action: Balloon allows you to develop your own outputs, enabling you to capture ‘your’ added value, not just those prescribed to you.
- Access expert support: Access our dedicated management service, providing hands-on expertise to equip and empower your teams every step of the way.
- By integrating Balloon into your operations, social value becomes an embedded, manageable, and impactful aspect of your organisation’s ethos, ensuring that everyone contributes effectively and witnesses the tangible differences they make.
For more detailed information or to explore how Balloon can be tailored to your specific needs, go to https://klowconsulting.com/balloon-social-value-manager/. To talk to a member of our team about demonstrating social value in your next bid, call 0330 133 8823 or email info@klowconsulting.com