Why Choose Thornton & Lowe?

✔ Social Value Specialists Who Bid for a Living – We are practising bid writers, not policy commentators. Our teams support more than 100 live bids at any one time and train procurement teams too, so we see what evaluators can actually score.

✔ Evidence-Led Responses, Not Generic Narrative – Social value marks are lost on vague promises. We help you quantify the commitment, name the owner, evidence the need and show the reporting route, so the evaluator never has to infer your answer.

✔ Support That Continues After Award – A scored commitment becomes a contract obligation. We help you transfer promises into a commitment register with owners, costs and evidence so delivery matches what was submitted.

Social Value in Tenders: What Is Changing

Social value is no longer just a broad statement of community benefit. It is increasingly scored, measured and managed through the contract, meaning a promise that wins marks can become a monitored delivery obligation.

PPN 026, published on 5 August 2026, focuses central government social value on Good Jobs and Skills, delivered through six Model Award Criteria. Suppliers need to respond to the specific criterion selected for the contract, rather than rely on generic social value commitments.

For in-scope procurements, the minimum weighting is 10% from £1 million to below £5 million and 20% at £5 million and above, where at least one social value KPI must also be monitored through the contract. The new model applies to procurements commencing on or after 1 January 2027.

It does not apply universally. Local authorities, NHS bodies and housing providers may use their own policies and priorities. The key commercial risk is therefore not the wording itself, but promising activity that has not been designed, costed or resourced. The strongest responses create a clear line from buyer priority, to deliverable commitment, to measurable evidence of change.

Key Social Value Areas We Support

Social value requirements vary by buyer, sector and contract. We help suppliers work out what is genuinely relevant to the contract they deliver, then evidence it properly.

Jobs, Fair Work and Fair Pay Job creation and retention, fair working conditions, fair pay, inclusive recruitment and access for target cohorts including people facing barriers to employment.

Skills, Training and Talent Pipeline Apprenticeships, training and retraining, in-work progression, work experience, careers activity, curriculum support and partnerships with colleges and employment providers.

Local Economy and Supply Chain Local employment, local spend, SME and VCSE supply chain opportunities, payment practices and support for local business growth.

Community, Environment and Wellbeing Community partnerships, volunteering, digital inclusion, health and wellbeing, carbon reduction and environmental measures where they are relevant to the contract and can be evidenced.

Preparing a social value response? We can help you interpret the criterion, design a proportionate commitment and submit a stronger, better evidenced answer.