A smarter way to deliver social value
The social value agenda has evolved rapidly in recent years. What began as a focus on charitable donations has matured into a more strategic approach- one that prioritises the creation of meaningful, measurable social and environmental benefits for communities impacted by construction projects.
The introduction of the Social Value Model in 2020 sharpened this focus, particularly for contractors delivering public sector frameworks and contracts. It established a requirement to deliver measurable social value across all publicly funded construction projects.
The UK Procurement Act 2023 (which came into force in February 2025) represents one of the most significant changes to public sector procurement in decades. A key shift has been the move from awarding contracts based on the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) to the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT). This allows contracting authorities to place greater emphasis on social value, environmental outcomes, and innovation- delivering broader public benefit beyond simply the lowest cost.
Alongside this, an updated Social Value Model introduced clearer outcome measures and a minimum 10% weighting for social value within tenders.
The social value agenda is here to stay- as it should be. At Bryson, we are committed to ensuring we maximise every opportunity to support our customers with smarter, faster and greener solutions, and our social value strategy is central to that.
As a business, we are dedicated to creating measurable social value. We employ apprentices and work closely with local schools and colleges to provide work experience and training opportunities, helping to improve access for those who may face barriers to employment. We also proactively engage with SMEs and VCSEs and are proud of our social enterprise product offering, supporting our customers in meeting their own social procurement targets.
In 2024, we identified an opportunity to go further- leveraging our position to support clients in delivering their own social value strategies. This led to the creation of the Bryson Social Value Fund.
Working in partnership with key clients, we allocate an agreed percentage of contract revenue into a dedicated social value fund. The more our clients spend with us, the more is contributed to their fund. This can be used to enhance existing initiatives or to develop bespoke social value programmes delivered collaboratively.
To date, this has included funding CV and interview skills workshops for NEETs, supporting urban greening initiatives through tree planting on housing developments, and hosting “meet the buyer” events for social enterprise suppliers looking to access the PPE supply chain.
If you would like to find out more about how Bryson can support you in meeting your social value targets, please get in touch.
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