Social Value Portal

13/10/2026

What is construction’s biggest Social Value opportunity? 🏗️

Social Value in construction is associated with local employment and local supply chains, and the sector delivers on both; our study found construction delivered 30,000 jobs and £10bn in local and SME spend between 2020 and 2025.

But local jobs and spend are just the tip of the iceberg. New benchmarking data shows where the sector’s top performers are pulling ahead, and it isn’t where you’d expect.

Construction: Benchmarking Social Value takes a closer look at how the industry creates impact, and where there are still more opportunities. Inside, you’ll find:
👉 Social Value delivery benchmarks for construction, set against the wider market
👉 The Measures the sector relies on most, and what they reveal about where its impact really comes from
👉 A case study of Social Value in action on site
👉 A practical checklist for turning insight into action, tailored to construction’s own levers

Whether you’re a main contractor, a subcontractor or a client commissioning a build, download the free report to see how your delivery compares and where to focus next: https://hubs.li/Q04z-k_Z0

Our latest benchmarking report takes a closer look at how construction is creating Social Value, and where there are still more opportunities.

12/10/2026

📣 The Social Value Awards 2026 shortlist is live!

A whopping 400+ organisations told us how they’re creating real, measurable change for their communities, and choosing between them was no easy job for our judges. To every organisation that entered: thank you for sharing your work and raising the bar for everyone.

This year’s shortlist spans 13 categories, from leadership and radical collaboration to enabling technology, plus our first-ever award for the Use of AI in Delivering Better Social Value Outcomes. It’s a snapshot of where social value is heading, and it’s looking bright.

Congratulations to everyone who made the cut!

Winners will be revealed after the Social Value Conference in Liverpool, 3 December 2026.

🏆 See who’s in the running: https://hubs.li/Q04zSN6d0

22/09/2026

The biggest Social Value event of the year is a few months away, and we’re answering the questions everyone is asking in 2026.

Here’s a taste of what's on:

🤖 Will AI Kill Social Value - or Unlock More of It?
The question everyone's asking, answered by the people building the future of measurement and delivery.

💷 Why Is S106 Failing Communities?
Councils are sitting on £9bn in unspent contributions. We're unpacking why - and how to fix it.

🏗️ Real Estate: More Than Just Returns
How the built environment can be designed to help communities thrive, not just perform on a balance sheet.

🎯 Hackathon - "How do we deliver Jobs and Skills in every postcode?"
A session focused on tackling the practical side of delivery, everywhere.

Social Value is an industry-wide and collective effort. We’re focused on ensuring everyone gets the most out of their ticket this December, so we've got a range of sector-specific sessions built for you:

Bidders & SMEs → "Social Value Masterclass for SMEs", "Why Frameworks Don't Have to Be a Barrier"

Public Sector → "PPN026: Policy to Implementation", "Building Credible Governance & Reporting Frameworks", "Social Value Masterclasses for Councillors & Central Government"

Private Sector → "Purpose-Led Business", "Delivering Social Value Across Large-Scale & Long-Term Contracts"

Built Environment → "Real Estate Investments Must Do More", "Building Flourishing Communities & Places"

VCFSEs → "How to Engage the VCFSE Sector", "VCFSE Spotlights: Farm Urban, Homebaked, Wildhearts"

Get a glimpse of the agenda for each of the two days: https://hubs.li/Q04y16ll0

Haven't booked your ticket? Starting from £20, don't forget to save your spot in the comments. 💬

10/09/2026

The way our members work just got clearer.

We've spent the last year digging into the Social Value Portal experience from the member's side of the screen.

A new landing page, a new activity feed, and navigation that gets out of your way.

Less time hunting for what matters, more time on the work that counts. It's the first visible step in a bigger plan for how the platform supports social value management end to end.

For the full updates, watch the on-demand webinar recording here: https://hubs.li/Q04wH3wk0

09/09/2026

The way organisations are expected to evidence Social Value keeps rising, and the Social Value TOM System™ evolves to meet it, with new and updated measures.

This time, including a broader set of environmental measures that go beyond carbon and waste into nature, climate resilience and skills for good work.

Whether you already use the TOM System or you're exploring it for the first time, you'll leave knowing exactly what's changed and how to put it to work.

Watch the full session here: https://hubs.li/Q04wH1pB0

04/09/2026

Heading into Q4, it's worth running a quick MOT on your organisation's Social Value bidding capability.

Built from Social Value Portal's experience supporting over 10,000 Social Value evaluations, our free Self-Assessment helps you see where your bidding approach is strong and where it may be leaving marks on the table.

Assess your capability across three key areas:
1. Understanding the requirements
2. Developing the proposal
3. Writing the response

Take the free Self-Assessment today: https://hubs.li/Q04wH55L0

04/09/2026

Social Value Awards 2026 submissions close at midnight.

If you've been meaning to enter, this is the reminder: don't let today slip by.

Submit for free now: https://hubs.li/Q04wGY5w0

21/08/2026

☀ Last week the Social Value Portal team spent the afternoon with family and friends at Elephant Park for our annual summer picnic.

A much needed break away from the hustle and bustle which included games and refreshments.

A big thank you to everyone who organised the event, it was a successfully fun day, and here are the pictures to show it.

18/08/2026

🚲 Social Value shows up in places you wouldn't expect. Take cycling infrastructure, for instance: it doesn't just create jobs, it also creates opportunities for VCFSEs and promotes healthy living.

Manchester City Council has been working diligently to embed these initiatives into their communities.

We're proud to share our new video highlighting what considered public planning looks like, and how it does more than create new cycle routes. It creates apprenticeships, opens access to local groups, and builds a more connected, sustainable city.

Check out the pictures below from the cycle ride using the new route, or click here to watch the full 3-minute video: https://hubs.li/Q04tk7rJ0

"We really want to encourage people to leave their car at home and to travel by walking, cycling, or wheeling to their destination."
- Indra Power, Social Value & Scheme Activation Lead at Manchester City Council

"It's important for us that it's not just about delivering a project or infrastructure, it's about working alongside those communities as well to have a long-term impact."
- Sam Wraith, Social Value Manager at Octavius

"Today's ride will showcase the new cycling infrastructure which has been built in Manchester, and people will see how easy it is to ride in the cycling lane, then plan their journeys using them in the future."
- Marina Waters, Founder of Moston Cycle Club

17/08/2026

Property and facilities management delivers Social Value every day, through tenant engagement, local recruitment, and routine service delivery. Measurement here is an ongoing, evolving process, not a single stand-alone project.

Our new State of the Nation 2025 report looks at what that means in practice for the sector: where impact concentrates today, and where the next opportunity sits.

If you manage Social Value across a property or FM portfolio, this report shows what to measure and where you stand against the sector.

Download the free report in the comments 👇