Social Value Information Hub

This website is a free resource created to serve the local economy – businesses, charities, social enterprises and communities. It is for anyone who wants to understand more about social value, and especially about the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012. The Social Value Act requires from Milton Keynes Council (MKC) to make its buying decisions based on social and environmental value as well as costs. This means that organisations bidding to work with MKC will need to form new social partnerships within local communities to be awarded that work.

You may work for a business, charity, social enterprise, non-profit or other organisation that wants to deliver services to Milton Keynes Council. Here you can learn how to push your competitive advantage on social value while bidding and tendering for MKC contracts and how to present your social value contribution to Milton Keynes as a part of your bid.

Social Value Toolkit

The Milton Keynes Council Social Value Toolkit has been designed to help you understand how contracts can deliver tangible Social Value to the community of Milton Keynes. It gives practical advice and examples to ensure that our officers and commissioners maximise the additional benefits that can be delivered.

Social Value is something that delivers additional benefits from contracts, over and above the benefit of the goods/services they are supplying. Milton Keynes Council has made a commitment that all procurement activity spend over £100K in value must consider what Social Value can be delivered, where it is appropriate and proportionate to do so, in relation to what is being procured.

RegenerationMK, the Council’s regeneration programme has a strong link with Social Value as this programme focusses across 7 areas where there is the greatest need within Milton Keynes. Through community partnership working and the Neighbourhood Employment Programme this will help facilitate and focus where social value benefits would make the most difference. 

The toolkit provides advice, information and key examples of how previous contracts have delivered real benefits to our communities, demonstrating how the contractors have gone above and beyond the normal requirement. It also provides guidance on where in Milton Keynes Social Value can be delivered. 

Social Value Toolkit (PDF, 1.5MB)

The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 came into force on 31 January 2013. It requires public bodies to consider how the services they procure might improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the local area. The Act was designed to clarify the law in its area and compliments a growing body of EU documentation encouraging the use of social value in procurement. 

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 (PDF, 96KB)

Social Value Act Review Report - Feb 2015 (PDF, 717KB)