Social Value is playing an increasingly important role in public sector procurement across Greater Manchester. In simple terms, it refers to the wider social, economic and environmental benefits that businesses deliver through their work, beyond the core contract. With recent government proposals to introduce a clearer definition of Social Value, there is now greater emphasis on how businesses deliver meaningful and measurable impact through their contracts.

While most organisations recognise its importance, turning that commitment into something practical and deliverable is often where challenges arise.

In many cases, Social Value is considered too late in the process or treated as a separate requirement. This can make it difficult to define relevant activities or clearly demonstrate impact when it comes to tender submissions.

In practice, delivering Social Value is about getting the fundamentals right early on. This includes:

• identifying what is realistic for the business
• aligning activity to local priorities across Greater Manchester
• ensuring that outcomes can be evidenced in a clear and credible way.

This is reflected in activity delivered by GM Business Growth Hub, including Social Value workshops and upcoming tendering and bid writing sessions, where businesses explore how to plan, deliver and evidence their approach in practice. Alongside this, we work with businesses across the region to shape an approach that reflects what they can genuinely deliver, from identifying appropriate activities and aligning them to recognised frameworks, to developing a clear plan for delivery and reporting.

This approach also supports Greater Manchester’s wider ambitions for inclusive and sustainable growth, where businesses are increasingly expected to demonstrate how they contribute to local communities, skills and opportunities.

From early conversations through to supporting delivery and evidencing outcomes, this type of practical guidance helps businesses move beyond intention and build an approach that is both credible and achievable.

If you are looking to strengthen your approach, you can join our upcoming Social Value workshops on 13 and 27 May or get in touch with our specialists to explore tailored support for your business.