Social value guide · part 4 of 6
Building a social value track record
A social value answer is scored on the plan, but the plan is only believable if you have done something like it before. The Federation of Small Businesses put it well when the 2026 rules were announced: small businesses deliver huge intrinsic social value but often struggle to demonstrate it. This part is about fixing the second half.
Last checked: 6 October 2026
The quotation is from the government's announcement of 5 August 2026. The work below costs little, and most of it is recording what you already do.
Start a social value log today
One spreadsheet, one row per activity, kept as things happen rather than reconstructed the night before a deadline. These columns are enough:
| Column | Example |
|---|---|
| Date | 12 March 2026 |
| What happened | Two-week work placement for a Year 11 student from Northfield School |
| Who benefited | One young person; first experience of a construction site |
| The number | 10 days, 1 placement |
| Evidence | Placement agreement, timesheet, thank-you letter from the school |
| Who can confirm it | Careers lead, Northfield School |
| Model outcome it fits | Outcome 7: pipeline of opportunities |
The last column matters more than it looks. The central government Social Value Model has standard reporting metrics for each outcome, such as apprenticeship opportunities created, people-hours of training delivered, direct spend with SMEs and VCSEs, and waste diverted from landfill. Recording against the same measures means your evidence already speaks the buyer's language.
What to start doing, in proportion to your size
Jobs and skills
- Take on an apprentice. In England, for apprenticeships starting from 1 August 2026, the government pays the full training cost for apprentices aged 16 to 24 at employers that do not pay the apprenticeship levy, and there are payments to employers for young apprentices. Check current funding on GOV.UK before you plan.
- Offer work experience or placements through a local school, college or Jobcentre Plus. The 2026 policy singles out work experience, with 45 days given as an example.
- Advertise vacancies on the government's Find a Job service, which central government contracts already require for local roles.
- Recruit from groups the buyer cares about: people out of work locally, care leavers, people with a disability or long-term health condition, veterans, prison leavers.
- Record training: hours, courses and qualifications gained by your staff.
Fair work
- Pay above the legal minimum, and consider real Living Wage accreditation.
- Pay your own suppliers promptly, and sign the Fair Payment Code.
- Write down your flexible working, wellbeing and fair treatment practices, and what staff get beyond the statutory minimum.
Local economy and supply chain
- Know your local spend: the share of what you buy from businesses near you, and from other small firms and social enterprises.
- Keep a list of local subcontractors and suppliers you could use on a public contract.
Environment
- Measure your carbon footprint, even roughly, and publish a carbon reduction plan using the government's free template.
- Track the measures that fit your trade: fuel and vehicle miles, waste and recycling, energy, water.
Community
- Give time with a purpose: careers talks, mentoring, skills sessions, linked to what your business does.
- Record volunteering in hours, with who it helped, rather than as a donation total.
Recognised schemes worth considering
None of these is required, and none scores on its own: what scores is a plan for the contract. But each is independent evidence a buyer recognises, and Disability Confident is named in the Social Value Model itself.
| Scheme | What it shows | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Disability Confident (DWP) | Three levels: Committed, Employer, Leader. Named in the Social Value Model. | Free |
| Armed Forces Covenant | A pledge to support the armed forces community; can lead to the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme. | Free |
| Fair Payment Code (Small Business Commissioner) | Gold, Silver or Bronze for paying suppliers promptly. Replaced the Prompt Payment Code. | Free |
| Good Business Charter | Ten components covering pay, wellbeing, environment, tax and prompt payment. | Free |
| Carbon reduction plan | A published commitment to net zero with your current emissions, using the PPN 006 template. | Free |
| Real Living Wage accreditation | You pay staff and regular contractors at least the real Living Wage. | £100 a year with fewer than 10 employees |
Links and current details for each are on the links and resources page.
Make the evidence believable
- Get it confirmed. Ask the school, charity or client to confirm what happened in an email or letter, and file it with the log entry.
- Report to your clients. A short annual note to your main customers on what you delivered becomes ready-made evidence, and private sector clients count.
- Do not overclaim. Count only what your business caused, and only once. The Institute for Social Value's principles of social value include “do not overclaim” and “verify the result”, and an evaluator who spots one inflated figure will doubt the rest.
- Publish it. A page on your website with your commitments and results meets the model's transparency criterion before you have even bid.
A year from now
A firm that starts a log today, takes on one placement and signs two free schemes will have a year of dated, confirmed evidence by next autumn. That is the difference between “we will consider” and “we did this, here is the proof, here is the plan for your contract”. Writing the answer shows how to use it.
Find the tenders where your social value counts
Tender Radar reads every new UK public sector notice, scores it against what you do and emails you the ones worth reading every weekday morning, with a reason for each. 30 days free, no card needed.
Common questions
Building a record
How do I show social value if I have never done a public contract?
Use what you already do for private clients and your own community, recorded properly: apprentices and trainees, local spend, pay above the legal minimum, time given to schools or charities. Buyers score your plan for their contract, and past delivery anywhere is what makes the plan believable.
Which accreditations help with social value?
The free ones that match what buyers ask about: Disability Confident, the Armed Forces Covenant, the Fair Payment Code, the Good Business Charter and a published carbon reduction plan. Real Living Wage accreditation has a small annual fee for small employers. None is required, and none replaces a contract-specific plan, but each is independent evidence.
Should I put a pound value on my social value?
Only if the buyer asks for it, using the buyer's method. Central government scores the quality of your plan, not volumes or monetary totals. Some councils use systems that attach financial proxy values to measures. Either way, never overclaim: count only what your business caused, and keep the evidence.