How to Write Strong Social Value Responses That Score Highly
In many procurements, Social Value is now a significant part of the overall score, making up between 15 and 40% of some tender evaluations.
While most organisations recognise its importance, plenty still struggle to translate good intentions into strong answers.
That's often where marks are lost.
We've reviewed hundreds of tender submissions over the years, and the same pattern appears time and time again:
One bidder provides a page full of broad statements about supporting communities, sustainability and creating opportunities.
Another explains exactly what they'll deliver, who will benefit, how they'll measure and report success and why it matters to the client, and how it is directly attributable to the contract award.
You can guess which one scores higher.
The good news is that writing a strong social value response doesn't require grand promises or huge budgets. In most cases, it comes down to understanding what the buyer wants to achieve and demonstrating, in practical terms, how your organisation can help them get there.
Stop Thinking About Social Value as a Separate Exercise
One of the most common mistakes we see is treating social value as a completely separate part of the bid. In reality, buyers want to know how social value will be embedded into contract delivery.
For example:
- If you're bidding for a facilities management contract, don't just talk about community initiatives in isolation. Explain how you'll create local employment opportunities through the contract.
- If you're bidding for professional services, consider how you'll support skills development, mentoring, or knowledge sharing within the client's community.
The strongest responses show that social value isn't something you're adding on afterwards, it's part of how you work.
Buyers Have Read the Same Promises Hundreds of Times
Evaluators see a lot of social value responses. They've read countless statements about being committed to sustainability; they've seen endless promises to support local communities; they've reviewed more apprenticeship pledges than most people could count.
That doesn't mean those things aren't important, it simply means that saying them isn't enough.
Instead of writing:
“We are committed to supporting local employment opportunities.”
Try explaining what that actually means:
"During the first year of the contract, we'll work with local employment support organisations to identify candidates from the area, with a target of filling at least 75% of new contract-related vacancies locally."
The second example gives evaluators something tangible - it is more credible and it will build trust.
Show the Thinking Behind Your Commitments
A surprisingly effective way to strengthen a social value response is to explain why you've chosen a particular initiative. Spoiler Alert: the strongest answers come from the people who have understood what the Buyer wants. Often this simply means following the established parameters set out in the tender documents.
For example, if youth unemployment is a known challenge within the contract area, explain how your proposed training programme helps address that issue.
This extra context shows evaluators that you've taken the time to understand their priorities rather than simply recycling content from a previous bid.
Be Ambitious, but Stay Realistic
There's often a temptation to promise as much as possible in the hope of securing extra marks.
In practice, unrealistic commitments can have the opposite effect. Experienced evaluators are good at spotting when a bidder has overreached.
A small business promising dozens of apprenticeships, extensive volunteering programmes and major carbon reductions may instigate more questions than confidence.
A realistic commitment backed by a clear delivery plan will almost always score better than an ambitious promise with no explanation behind it.
Don't Forget the Measurement Piece
Social value is increasingly about outcomes rather than activities. It's one thing to say you'll run careers workshops, but it's another to explain how many workshops you'll deliver, how many people you'll engage, what success looks like and how you'll report progress.
Whenever possible, include measurable targets, review processes and reporting measures.
Buyers want confidence that they'll be able to see the benefits you've promised once the contract begins.
A Quick Note on TOMs
If you're bidding for public sector opportunities, there's a good chance you'll come across the National TOMs framework at some point.
Rather than covering it in detail here, we've gone into depth in another blog. For more information on TOMs, read here.
Final Thoughts
There isn't a magic formula for writing high-scoring social value responses.
But what tends to separate strong submissions from average ones is relevance, credibility and detail.
The best responses are tailored to the opportunity, grounded in evidence and focused on outcomes that genuinely matter to the buyer and the communities they serve.
If you're finding it difficult to demonstrate your organisation's social value proposition, or you're unsure whether your current responses are scoring as highly as they could, we're here to help.
For support with social value responses, tender writing and bid strategy, contact the team at info@bidwritingservice.com.
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