A meeting for the Stoke-on-Trent VCSE City Alliance

Stoke-on-Trent City Council and VAST are pleased to invite VCSE City Alliance supporters to join us this January as we come together to consider how we can collaborate to realise the potential of social value in Local Authority procurement – in other words, when the Council buys good or services from a supplier.

Good progress is already happening in some areas of work – but we know that there’s more we can do, and that whatever the size of your group or charity, VCSE City Alliance supporters can help to shape this work through your collective insight and experience.

Chris Conway (Category Manager, Stoke-on-Trent City Council) will join us to present a vision for one possible future, inviting us to sense-check current thinking at an early stage, and to develop a rounded vision for what social value can deliver for communities in the city.

We’ll look at some of the approaches adopted elsewhere in the country, and explore how smarter social value thinking could apply in a range of real-world commissioning and procurement scenarios.

We’re keen to find the right links and synergies with other work in the city, so throughout the session, we’ll also be asking, ‘what else is important for us to consider?’ and ‘who else needs to be part of the conversation as it develops?’

Why social value?

‘Social Value is the positive impact an organisation has on society beyond its financial bottom line. While profit is tracked in traditional accounting terms, Social Value is measured by the actions an organisation takes to improve the world around it.’

15 years ago the Public Services (Social Value) Act challenged public sector buyers to consider social value—such as community, environmental, and economic benefits—when awarding contracts.

Fast forward to 2023: the Procurement Act further embedded social value through the contract lifecycle, emphasising delivery, accountability, and measurable outcomes.

When they buy goods or services, it’s clear that public sector bodies now have greater flexibility to align procurement with strategic policy priorities, while supporting SMEs and VCSE organisations – but we also know that this potential hasn’t yet been fully realised here in Stoke-on-Trent.

Description supplied by the event organiser.