Could you tell us about the new Institute for Social Value? What will it do, who is it for, and how can people get involved?

Absolutely! The Institute for Social Value is the rebranded successor to Social Value UK, launched to professionalise the field of social value and create an inclusive, community-driven hub for practitioners, policymakers, and organisations. We’re looking to go beyond measuring social value to fostering best practices, setting standards, and advocating for policies that amplify impact.

We want everyone - from large corporations to community organisations - to feel they have a home with us. To get involved, people can attend events like our conference, join working groups, or follow updates on our social media and newsletters. We’re building this Institute with the community, and input is vital to shaping its future.

What do you think politicians and policymakers have on their radar regarding social value? What changes might we see?

The government’s delayed Procurement Act, set to launch in February 2025, is a game changer. It introduces transparency and accountability mechanisms, making social value delivery integral to public contracts. This will involve both suppliers and buyers publishing key performance indicators tied to social value.

We’re also seeing increased interest in reforming the social value model to make it more relevant and impactful. There’s a strong appetite to mature social value, particularly with the Labour government emphasising social value in its policy agenda.

Shifting gears, how can businesses change their perception of social value from a box-ticking exercise to a meaningful practice?

It starts with understanding that social value isn’t a trade-off against profit - it’s integral to long-term sustainability and growth. Many businesses hire a single social value

practitioner to champion this within the company, but we often see these individuals feeling isolated.

We advocate for organisations to see the real benefit in embedding social value throughout their organisation, not just their compliance processes. Businesses can seek external support and collaborate within the broader social value community, and focus on genuine impact rather than superficial targets. This approach benefits stakeholders and also strengthens their business.

How do you think the new Procurement Act will impact social value?

The Act emphasises accountability, requiring businesses to deliver on their social value commitments. It includes transparency notices and KPIs, so organisations that fail to deliver will be held to account. The result of this should ensure that organisations will genuinely embed social value practices throughout their operations.

Finally, what was the question we decided to leave out of this conversation—and why?

We chose not to address, “What’s the best tool for measuring social value?” While measurement is important, focusing solely on metrics risks reducing social value to numbers and checkboxes. We know, that social value is far broader—it’s about impact on an individual, values, and actions before measurement even begins. We need to shift the narrative towards the why and how of creating meaningful change, not just quantifying it.

How can we help

At Samtaler, we understand the importance of your social value commitment. You’re here because you care about your business's impact on society and want to improve. We want you to succeed, and we know from experience that achieving social value requires skill, strategy, and support.

To find out how we can help, send an email to hello@samtaler.co.uk

Sign up for The Social Value Files for inspiration and practical ideas to create social value for your business.

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