Social value is a broader concept than that of the immediate economic benefit of a contract to an organisation. In the context of healthcare and social care services tendering, social value means the additional benefits to the community that can be brought, for example, through improved well-being, tackling economic inequality, and promoting environmental sustainability. Public sector organisations are increasingly looking to social value in their procurement strategies, and therefore, understanding how to articulate and deliver social value is increasingly important to tendering success.
In the past few years, the UK government has implemented a new social value model which requires that at least 10% of the procurement evaluation is based on social value. The shift towards this approach recognises that public contracts can and should not only deliver services but also build community resilience and well-being. As a result, healthcare and social care organisations need to develop strong strategies to show how they will deliver social value in their bids.
In this article, we will explore what adding social value to tender bids means, how to articulate a unique social value proposition, how to utilise evidence and case studies, how to engage with stakeholders, how to make initiatives measurable and how to continuously improve social value delivery.
Understanding the Social Value Framework
Organisations need to understand the underlying framework that the UK government has set in place to effectively include social value in tender bids. The Social Value Model outlines five key areas where bidders are expected to demonstrate their commitment:
- Covid-19 Recovery: Looking at the ongoing impact of the pandemic on communities.
- Tackling Economic Inequality: Promoting fair employment practices and helping local economies.
- Fighting Climate Change: Practices that are environmentally sustainable.
- Equal Opportunity: Creating an inclusive and diverse workforce.
- Wellbeing: Improving mental and physical health outcomes for people.
However, each of these areas provides opportunities for healthcare and social care organisations to demonstrate how their services can make a difference to communities. For example, a provider could offer initiatives to help people who have been disproportionately impacted by Covid or to create jobs for underrepresented groups.
Organisations can show a full understanding of the social value that is expected of public bodies by aligning their proposals with these key themes. This aligns them with their bids in a way that not only improves the credibility of their bids but also makes them responsible corporate citizens making a difference.
Articulating Your Unique Social Value Proposition
A unique social value proposition is, therefore, a must for differentiating your organisation from competitors in tender submissions. Your services should create additional benefits for the community beyond what is required in the contract, and this proposition should clearly state how.
When crafting your unique proposition, consider the following questions:
- What innovative approaches can your organisation take to enhance service delivery?
- How will your initiatives address specific community needs?
- What measurable targets can you set to track progress?
For instance, if you are an organisation that offers domiciliary care services, you could suggest a programme that includes training and employment for local residents as part of its service delivery model. This not only helps with local unemployment but also builds community and goodwill towards your organisation.
Additionally, your unique proposition must fit with the commissioning body’s priorities. To tailor your response effectively, you will then have to research the specific goals and values of potential clients. If you can show that you understand their objectives and can explain how your services support them, your chances of success are much higher.
Using Evidence and Case Studies
Evidence-based claims are one of the most compelling ways to show your commitment to social value. As a result, public sector commissioners are seeking quantifiable data to substantiate assertions about social impact. What this means is that organisations can no longer rely on vague promises alone; they must demonstrably prove their track record in delivering social value.
Using case studies from previous projects can be particularly powerful in showing what your organisation can do. Identify successful initiatives where you have had a positive impact on local communities or service users’ health outcomes. An example of this would be if you ran a mental health programme that led to measurable improvements in client wellbeing, then this is something you should include in your bid.
Quantitative data is a great addition to your claims, in addition to qualitative case studies. A number of apprenticeships created, reductions in carbon emissions through sustainable practice or improvements in service user satisfaction scores are all metrics that will show that your organisation has made an impact.
You combine qualitative narratives with quantitative evidence to tell a compelling narrative of your commitment to social value and your ability to deliver on promises made during the tender process.
Engaging with Stakeholders
Another important element for successfully adding social value to tender bids is engagement with local stakeholders. Developing relationships with organisations in the community, businesses in the community, and other stakeholders not only shows you’re willing to work with others but can also help you understand community needs.
Before submitting a tender bid, make time to connect with relevant stakeholders to the services you wish to provide. Hosting focus groups or consultations with community members or collaborating with local charities that share the same objectives could all fall into this category. This engagement gives you a chance to collect insights on challenges that residents are facing and how exactly you can propose in response.
Additionally, featuring these partnerships in your bid will make a world of difference. Showing that you already have existing relationships in the community and a desire to maintain working with the community through your services will show commissioners that you are serious about delivering real social value.
Furthermore, discuss how one will continue to involve stakeholders during the contract period. In addition to committing to regular communication and collaboration with local partners post-award, it also reinforces your commitment to yield positive outcomes for the community.
Making Initiatives Measurable
In order to ensure accountability in delivering social value commitments made in tender submissions, targets have to be set for all proposed initiatives so that they can be measured. This helps to track progress but also gives commissioners confidence that you will deliver on promises made during bidding.
When setting measurable targets, consider using specific metrics that relate to each of the areas of focus outlined in the social value model. For example:
- In terms of COVID-19 recovery initiatives, Set a target for the number of employment opportunities created for those who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
- To tackle economic inequality, set goals to increase diversity in your workforce or source goods from local suppliers.
- Regarding environmental commitments: Set targets for reducing waste or for implementing energy-efficient practices in operations.
By regularly auditing progress against these targets, you can demonstrate accountability and support continuous improvement in your organisation’s approach to delivering social value.
In addition, documenting successes against these metrics while delivering a contract provides useful evidence for future tenders. Showing a history of meeting or exceeding commitments made to deliver social value increases credibility and, therefore, competitiveness in future bidding processes.
Continuous Improvement
Social value is about doing more than fulfilling contractual obligations; it is about continual development and innovation in service delivery models. Healthcare and social care landscapes are evolving and will continue to evolve in response to societal challenges, such as COVID-19, and organisations need to be agile and responsive.
This involves establishing mechanisms for continuous feedback from service users to inform service delivery improvements and alignment of service delivery with community needs over time. To further improve the service, you may want to consider conducting regular surveys or focus groups with service users or stakeholders who can identify what needs to be improved.
Furthermore, creating a culture of learning within your organisation allows employees, both at the front line and management level, to suggest ideas that would improve service provision and increase positive impacts on the communities being served.
Healthcare providers become leaders who not only meet contractual obligations but also have continuous improvement practices and robust measurement frameworks embedded in organisational culture and deliver tangible benefits over time, closely aligned with local needs through impactful service provision.
Conclusion
Social value is no longer optional in tender bids for UK healthcare and social care sectors; it is now a key factor for success. Public sector organisations are starting to put much more emphasis on socially responsible procurement practices, especially when backed by legislative frameworks such as The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012, but also with newer models introduced since 2021, so understanding how they can best add genuine societal benefits becomes a key competitive differentiator for bidders competing for millions worth of contracts annually across different regions across the UK.
Healthcare providers can secure vital contracts by fully understanding the relevant frameworks governing procurement processes, as well as articulating unique propositions supported by robust evidence from prior experiences to contribute positively to building resilient communities where they operate while remaining focused on long-term sustainability objectives in all operations undertaken moving forward into future challenges ahead!
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