Why Social Values are Vital for Procurement Contract Bids

Alastair Clay, the sustainability and social value manager within NHS North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative, spoke on how he believed businesses hoping to win contracts from the NHS on the 'Let’s Talk Social Value' podcast, run by social value agency Samtaler.

Alastair claimed there was a better chance of succeeding by setting out how they would tackle climate change. He said that vital social value elements within procurement bids should prioritise the environment.

Alastair has a wealth of experience in the procurement space, having been the Sustainable Procurement Manager for NHS England for two years. He also held roles at DHL Supply Chain and Asda. He is someone who decides on successful bids for one of the country’s largest public sector organisations and said tackling climate change was “the first thing I always look for”.

The importance of social value

Social value marks up around 10% of a health service procurement bid and is often the part which makes or breaks a successful submission for a contract.

He spoke about this on the podcast run by the social value agency, Samtaler.

His NHS North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative is the regional procurement hub covering 42 health trusts, covering a population of millions. During the podcast, Alastair discussed what businesses should do to appeal to those deciding on the outcome of their bid.

Speaking on the podcast, he said: “The first thing I will always look at is fighting climate change.

“That’s why I would encourage suppliers delivering works, goods, or services, to consider the impact on the environment. Think about it as an organisation – what commitments can I make as part of this?

“You can be proactively thinking about your social value and submissions now to build up a bank of solutions you’ve got to submit, rather than waiting for the tendering exercise.

“One of my biggest things is less is more. I’d rather the supplier commit to something they could realistically do rather than saying we’ll change the world.

“The more you submit, the more you have to evaluate, the more you have to manage and the more likely the social value is to fall down.

“Keep the word count low – if you’ve been given 1,000 words don’t feel like you have to fill it. Don’t waffle. Social value is a real opportunity for the NHS and everyone to be passionate about what benefits we can seek here collaboratively with suppliers."​​​​​​​

The difference between winning and losing a contract

Sarah Stone, director of Samtaler, added: “Alastair offered invaluable insight as part of this podcast for businesses of all sizes hoping to win NHS work. The reality is, if you’re tendering for work and have a great social value element, it could be the difference between winning and losing a contract.

"Billions of pounds are up for grabs when it comes to contracts with the NHS in the north of England and these rules apply right across the UK public sector, too. I would advise anyone hoping to work with the NHS to listen to Alastair’s contribution to the podcast and take on the excellent advice of someone who knows best.”

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