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Social Value Bid Writing · PPN 06/20 · Procurement Act 2023

Stop writing social value responses from scratch.

Social value can carry 10–40% of your bid evaluation score. BidWriter's AI drafts TOMS-aligned, PPN 06/20-compliant commitments from your stored evidence — concrete numbers, not vague pledges.

Store your social value commitments once in the Bid Library. For every new tender, the AI maps them to the buyer's specific themes, outputs and measures — in the correct format, at the right word count.

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Why social value responses are a problem

Since PPN 06/20 came into force in 2020, social value has moved from a "nice to have" narrative to a mandatory scored evaluation criterion. On central government contracts it must carry at least 10% of the award score. Many NHS, council and housing contracts weight it at 20–40%.

The problems most bid teams face:

  • →Writing the same commitments repeatedly — jobs, apprenticeships, supply chain, environment — with different word counts and framework alignments each time.
  • →Generic commitments ("we will promote social value") score zero. Buyers want specific, measurable, deliverable commitments with named outputs.
  • →Every buyer uses a different framework — TOMS, Government themes, NHS CQUIN, buyer-bespoke criteria — requiring different language and structure.
  • →Social value evidence (past delivery, named initiatives, carbon plan) is scattered across different documents and people.

BidWriter solves this by centralising your social value evidence in the Bid Library and using AI to produce framework-aligned drafts in minutes, not hours.

How BidWriter handles social value

Four steps from scattered commitments to a scored, submission-ready social value section.

01

Store once, reuse everywhere

Add your real social value commitments to BidWriter's Bid Library once — local jobs targets, apprenticeship numbers, SME supply-chain percentage, carbon reduction plan, volunteering hours. Every future bid draws from this library automatically.

02

AI drafts to the buyer's framework

The AI reads the buyer's specific social value requirements (TOMS, Government themes, or buyer-defined criteria) and drafts a response that maps your stored commitments to their exact measures and themes.

03

Evidence-backed, not vague

Generic social value commitments score poorly. BidWriter's AI integrates your specific evidence — percentages, numbers, named initiatives, past delivery — into the draft so every commitment is concrete and verifiable.

04

Tailor for local geography

Social value evaluation often rewards local commitment. BidWriter lets you record local employment and supply-chain data per region, and the AI tailors commitments to the contract's geographic scope.

Social value themes BidWriter covers

Store evidence for each theme once. The AI includes the right subset for each buyer's framework.

Employment

New jobs created, apprenticeship targets, recruitment from disadvantaged groups, skills training hours

Supply chain

SME subcontracting %, VCSE subcontracting %, local supplier percentage

Community

Volunteering hours, pro bono support, charitable donations, community events

Environment

Carbon reduction plan (PPN 06/21), Net Zero commitment, waste reduction %, biodiversity pledges

Wellbeing

Real Living Wage, mental health support, worker welfare accreditations

Equality

EDI policy, gender pay gap reporting, disability confident status, ethnicity pay gap

The regulatory context: PPN 06/20 and the Procurement Act 2023

Social Value Act 2012

Required UK public bodies to consider social value in procurement decisions. Established the legal foundation for social value evaluation.

PPN 06/20 (June 2020)

Made social value evaluation mandatory on all central government contracts above threshold. Required minimum 10% award weighting. Introduced Government Social Value themes (COVID recovery, equal opportunity, wellbeing, decarbonisation).

Carbon Reduction Plans (PPN 06/21)

Suppliers bidding for government contracts above £5m must submit a Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) aligned to the government's Net Zero target. Closely linked to social value environment themes.

Procurement Act 2023

Replaced the PCR 2015. Came into effect February 2025. Embeds social value into the procurement lifecycle via the National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS). Buyers must have regard to strategic national priorities including levelling up and Net Zero.

Social value bid writing — questions answered

What is social value in UK public sector procurement?

Social value refers to the wider economic, social and environmental benefits a contract delivers to the local community and UK society. Under the Social Value Act 2012 and PPN 06/20 (2020), UK public sector buyers must evaluate social value as part of their award decisions. PPN 06/20 mandates that social value be explicitly evaluated — not just considered — on all central government contracts. Many local authorities, NHS bodies and other public sector buyers apply equivalent requirements.

What is PPN 06/20 and what does it require?

PPN 06/20 (Procurement Policy Note 06/20, published June 2020) is the UK central government policy requiring all in-scope public contracts to assess social value at the award stage, with a minimum 10% weighting in the evaluation. It introduced a standard set of Social Value themes and outcomes — the Government Social Value themes — covering COVID-19 economic recovery, equal opportunity, wellbeing, and decarbonisation. Most buyers use a scoring framework (TOMS or buyer-specific criteria) to evaluate supplier commitments.

What is the TOMS framework?

TOMS (Themes, Outcomes and Measures) is the most widely adopted social value measurement framework for UK public sector procurement. It was developed by Social Value UK and adopted by many local authorities, NHS bodies and government departments. It organises social value commitments under five themes: Work (jobs, skills), Growth (supply chain), Social (wellbeing, community), Environment (carbon, waste), and Innovation. TOMS provides standardised measures so buyers can compare commitments across suppliers.

What weighting does social value carry in UK bids?

Central government contracts under PPN 06/20 must give social value a minimum 10% weighting in the award evaluation. Many buyers apply higher weightings — especially local authorities and NHS bodies where social impact is a strategic priority. 20–30% is common in social care, employment services and construction. On some contracts (particularly council-commissioned community services), social value can carry 40–50% of the total evaluation score.

How does BidWriter help with social value responses?

BidWriter stores your social value commitments in a reusable Bid Library — local jobs created, apprenticeship targets, SME supply-chain percentages, carbon reduction commitments, volunteering hours, charitable contributions. For each new bid, the AI drafts a social value response aligned to the buyer's specific framework (TOMS, Government themes, or buyer-defined criteria), using your stored commitments as the evidence base. You review and tailor the draft rather than starting from a blank page each time.

What is the Procurement Act 2023 and what changes does it make to social value?

The Procurement Act 2023 (which came into effect in February 2025) replaces the existing public procurement regulations and embeds social value considerations more deeply into the procurement lifecycle. It includes a new "National Procurement Policy Statement" that buyers must have regard to, which includes social value outcomes. While PPN 06/20 remains influential, the Act reinforces the expectation that suppliers demonstrate community, social and environmental commitments as part of their bids.

Can I reuse social value commitments across multiple bids?

Yes — and this is precisely what BidWriter's Bid Library enables. Your core social value commitments (the real ones your organisation can deliver and evidence) should be stored once and reused with per-bid tailoring. Tailoring means adjusting local-geographic commitments (e.g. local employment targets) and buyer-specific theme alignment — the underlying commitments themselves stay consistent.

What types of social value do buyers look for in bids?

Common social value themes evaluated in UK public sector bids: (1) Employment — local jobs, apprenticeships, employment of disadvantaged groups, skills training; (2) Supply chain — percentage of subcontracting to SMEs, VCSEs, or local suppliers; (3) Community engagement — volunteering, pro bono work, community initiatives; (4) Environment — carbon reduction plans, Net Zero commitments, waste reduction, biodiversity pledges; (5) Wellbeing — staff mental health and wellbeing, worker welfare; (6) Equality — EDI policies, gender pay gap reporting, living wage commitment.

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