What do I put in the social value section of a tender?

If you’re an SME or contractor bidding for public or framework work, the social value section is no longer a tick-box at the end — it carries real marks, and the firms that win it treat it like the priced part of the bid. The good news: you almost certainly already do social value. You just need to write it down clearly, cost it, and back it with evidence. Here’s what goes in the box.

Why this is landing now

Wales’ socially responsible procurement duties are now in force, and social value is being measured, reported and flowed down into subcontracts. Buyers are no longer satisfied with a paragraph of good intentions — they want to see what you’ll deliver, what it’s worth, and how you’ll show it actually happened. Evidence beats promises. A vague commitment scores low; a costed, specific, deliverable one scores high — and protects you when you’re asked to report delivery later.

What to actually write in the box

1. Read the question and the weighting first. Find out exactly what the buyer is asking for and how many marks the social value section carries. Answer their priorities — local employment, skills, community benefit, environment — not a generic list.
2. List what you already do. Careers talks in schools, site visits, apprenticeships, local hiring, supporting a community group, work-experience placements. Most contractors are sitting on more social value than they realise. See social value for construction →
3. Cost it. Put a number on it. Log the staff hours behind each activity and Owl Impact converts them into a costed figure in pounds, using a recognised national proxy — about £16.93 per staff-hour. Two minutes, no spreadsheet. Log a session →
4. Make SMART commitments you can keep. Specific, measurable, and realistic — “two careers sessions per term at the local school” beats “we will engage with the community”. Only promise what you can deliver and report on.
5. Attach a costed record as evidence. Don’t just claim it — show it. A dated, costed record of what you’ve already delivered turns your bid from intentions into evidence.
6. Say how you’ll report delivery. Buyers want to know you’ll evidence what you promised. Tell them you’ll log activity as it happens and hand back a costed, dated report — so when annual reporting comes round, you’re ready.

Why this wins, and protects you later

A costed, specific, evidenced answer does two jobs. It scores better at bid stage, because it’s concrete where competitors are vague. And it protects you after award — when the buyer asks you to report what you delivered, you already have the record, professionally costed and dated, instead of scrambling to reconstruct it. If you’re bidding into major Welsh programmes, the same record feeds straight into supply-chain reporting. See the Wylfa supply chain →