What is Social Value?
North Tyneside Council seeks to work with suppliers who share our values and are committed to delivering wider benefits for North Tyneside communities.
Social value means going beyond the core requirements of a contract to create measurable improvements in people’s lives, including social, economic and environmental outcomes.
Through procurement, we aim to deliver lasting benefits aligned to:
- The Our North Tyneside Plan
- The Procurement Act 2023
- Our ambition to become a net-zero borough by 2030.
Suppliers are expected to demonstrate how they will contribute to these ambitions through clear, quantifiable commitments that are relevant, proportionate and deliverable.
Our Social Value Priorities
The Authorities social value approach aligns to the five key priorities of the Our North Tyneside Plan. Suppliers are required to contribute to these through specific outcomes, targets and delivery plans.
Focus: Health, wellbeing and community support
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Focus: Opportunities for children and young people
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Focus: Sustainability and safer communities
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Focus: Inclusive economic development
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Focus: Supporting vulnerable residents and environments
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How Social Value is Measured
Social value commitments must be:
- Quantifiable (e.g. hours, £ value, tonnes, number of people)
- Evidence-based
- Monitored throughout the contract
The Authorities approach to managing and monitoring social value includes:
- Defined outcomes and measures
- Proxy values to assess impact (where applicable)
- Regular performance monitoring
How Social Value is Built into Tenders
Social value forms a key part of our tender evaluation with a minimum of 10% weighting applied, with at least two questions included in each tender.
There are three key elements to a social value tender question:
1. Baseline
Current level of activity or performance:
- Existing initiatives or policies
- Current data or metrics
- Evidence of past delivery (if applicable)
2. Target
A clear, measurable commitment:
- Must be specific, quantified and time-bound
- Must represent an improvement on baseline
3. Methodology
A robust delivery plan
- How targets will be achieved
- Key activities, roles and delivery approach
- Partnerships with local organisations
- Monitoring, reporting and KPI arrangements
- Continuous improvement approach
General Advice for Bidders
- Treat social value as a core part of contract delivery, not an add-on
- Ensure commitments are realistic, relevant and contract-specific
- Clearly demonstrate local impact in North Tyneside
- Provide evidence where possible
- Focus on quality, delivery confidence and measurable outcomes
- Honest acknowledgment if your current social value activity is limited
- Be prepared to monitor and report on progress.
Managing Delivery of Social Value
The Authority will actively manage social value throughout the contract:
- Regular performance meetings
- Monitoring against agreed targets and KPIs
- Recording outcomes using our contract management toolkit
- Capturing case studies and impact evidence
Suppliers are expected to:
- Report progress regularly
- Provide supporting data and evidence
- Highlight additional social value delivered beyond commitments
Useful Contacts & Resources
- North Tyneside Business Forum
Support, funding and networking
www.northtynesidebusinessforum.org.uk
- North Tyneside Learning Trust
Schools engagement and careers events
- VODA (Voluntary Organisations Development Agency)
Support for VCSE sector
- North Tyneside Council – Employment & Skills
Apprenticeships and workforce development
North Tyneside Employment & Skills
- NEPO (North East Procurement Organisation)
Supplier support and training
- North Tyneside Council Commercial Team
Social Value Queries, requests for help or offers for support
socialvalue@northtyneside.gov.uk
- Social Value Outcomes 2026
White Ribbon Campaign
For more information and to sign-up please visit the White Ribbon website: https://www.whiteribbon.org.uk/
