Social Value
Dudley Council spends approximately £300m each year on goods, services and works. If targeted, this spending has the capacity to provide substantial social value benefits. These benefits will improve the quality of life and life chances of Dudley residents, enhancing the economy and environment of the local area.
Policy
Our ambition and social value objectives are fully aligned with Dudley’s key aims and values.
Suppliers Guidance
Everything suppliers need to know about Dudley Council's social value policy.
Case Studies
Explore case studies detailing how social value has positively impacted other organisations.
In setting out its commitment to social value through this policy, Dudley Council aims to deliver additional value through commissioning and procurement and to work with other public bodies in the borough so that the benefits to Dudley will multiply through a collaborative approach.
This policy sets challenging standards. It drives for additional value along with culture change within the Council and our suppliers. It is relevant to all employees and Members of the Council. As key partners in our objective to deliver additional value through our external spend, our supply chain can provide a significant additional and positive impact.
What is Social Value?
Social Value - The additional benefits and outcomes to the community from commissioning and procurement processes over and above the delivery of goods, services and works.
The Council today faces new and substantial challenges which include supporting businesses and individuals to recover from Covid-19, addressing the climate emergency and maximising the business benefits to the area now the UK is outside the EU.
Social value requires thinking about how to achieve outcomes in a more integrated way at the pre-procurement stage. Instead of thinking about services in isolation or in the short term, this approach requires consideration of long-term costs, sustainability and how including additional social value outcomes can potentially reduce pressures in other areas. This approach also provides capacity and funding for improved community benefits.
To implement this policy we seek measurable, verifiable social value outcomes that:
- are relevant to what is proposed to be procured and proportionate to the contract
- can legitimately be included in contract / grant specifications
- contribute to achieving the Council’s priorities
The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 states:
“for procuring the provision of services, … goods or the carrying out of works…the authority must consider how what is proposed to be procured might improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the relevant area and, in conducting the process of procurement, how it might act with a view to securing that improvement.”
Public bodies must also “consider whether to undertake any consultations as to matters to be considered” under that process.
The Queens speech on May 11th 2021 included plans to simplify procurement through a new Procurement Bill to replace old EU rules and that requires all public sector buyers to consider social value when selecting suppliers.
