In November 2025, the Business Services Association (BSA) convened a roundtable in Preston, hosted by the Lancashire Skills and Employment Hub. The session brought together representatives from local authorities, private sector organisations and the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector to explore best practice in commissioning for social and community impact – with Lancashire offering a place‑based lens on what works in practice.
The session was Chaired by DWF's Head of ESG Operations, Catherine Gee. The event aimed to assess progress in embedding social value into commissioning and procurement – and to identify how policy ambition can translate into meaningful outcomes for communities.
The BSA convened the Preston roundtable as part of its wider work to support more effective commissioning for social value and community impact. By bringing together public bodies, private sector providers and the VCSE sector, the BSA [and DWF created a space for open discussion on how policy, procurement and delivery can be better aligned to local priorities. The roundtable reflected the BSA's commitment to promoting outcome‑based commissioning, place‑based approaches and genuine partnership working – moving the focus away from compliance and towards long‑term social and economic value for communities. At DWF, we welcome the BSA’s role in facilitating these conversations and supporting practical collaboration that helps turn social value ambitions into meaningful outcomes on the ground.
Key takeaways
- Social value is most effective when embedded strategically: Embedding social value within wider skills, employment and economic strategies leads to stronger, more sustainable community outcomes than treating it as a standalone requirement.
- Place‑based, outcome‑focused approaches deliver better impact: Commissioning works best when aligned to local priorities and focused on long‑term outcomes, rather than prescriptive inputs or volume‑based measures.
- Early and meaningful engagement is critical: Early engagement with communities, suppliers and delivery partners improves the quality of social value proposals and is clearly reflected in procurement assessments.
- Collaboration across sectors remains a key challenge: Stronger coordination is needed between local authorities, anchor institutions, suppliers and VCSEs – including clearer roles for CVS organisations and better alignment across place‑based strategies.
- Quality and impact matter more than quantity: Tools such as TOMs are valuable, but they must be applied with a focus on quality, impact and outcomes, rather than simply counting commitments.
- Delivering social value requires a shift from transactional to relational models: Long‑term partnerships, supply‑chain collaboration and contract structures that support legacy are essential to achieving meaningful social and community impact.
Participants noted that bidders who engage meaningfully with communities are often clearly identifiable during procurement processes and should be recognised accordingly.
For commissioners, the seminar reinforced the importance of designing commissioning and procurement around outcomes, early engagement and long‑term partnerships, supported by clear guidance and consistent expectations. For suppliers, it highlighted the need to embed social value and sustainability into business‑as‑usual activity, invest in community relationships, and work collaboratively across supply chains rather than treating social value as a contractual add‑on. For VCSEs, the discussions underlined their critical role as delivery partners and local experts, while also highlighting the need for earlier involvement, better coordination and capacity‑building to enable meaningful participation on equal terms. Across all sectors, continued collaboration, shared learning and open communication are essential to translating social value ambition into lasting community impact.
At DWF, we support public bodies, suppliers and anchor institutions to embed social value into commissioning, procurement and contract management – helping turn policy ambition into measurable, place‑based impact.
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Interested in collaborating to deliver impactful social value outcomes? Please get in touch with our Responsible Business and ESG team ESGEnquiries@dwf.law
