Social Value Statement

One of the key ways we use our influence to create social value is through the goods and services we commission to support our city’s growth and resilience.

Social value is essential when selecting a supplier or contractor. We team up with partners who share our vision and can help deliver genuine change that enriches the lives of our local communities.

Our Social Procurement framework embeds social, economic, cultural and environmental value across every stage of the procurement process. Our priorities include:

  • Supporting local economic development and employment for Peterborough residents

  • Strengthening local businesses, especially social enterprises and diverse-owned suppliers

  • Promoting inclusion and equity in our supply chain and communities

  • Advancing social equity and sustainable development to uplift those most in need

  • Enhancing cultural, arts and heritage outcomes through our purchasing decisions

To maximise social value, we expect suppliers to go beyond delivering contracts—they should integrate social outcomes from the outset, partner with local voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) groups, and use whatimpact.com to register, match, coordinate and transparently report on their social value contributions.

Delivering Social Value for across the UK with whatimpact

Why Peterborough City Council partnered with whatimpact to deliver Social Value

Peterborough City Council has a long-standing commitment to embedding social, economic, cultural and environmental value in everything we do. Our work with local voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations helps us respond to the needs of our residents, strengthen local networks, and deliver projects that create lasting impact. By being embedded within communities, VCSEs can identify challenges early and adapt services to meet local priorities.

By partnering with whatimpact, we ensure our suppliers are able to connect with this diverse VCSE network and create targeted, contract-specific social value plans. This means suppliers can demonstrate a clear, systematic approach to delivering social and environmental impact across Peterborough, while ensuring their commitments are measurable and transparent.

Peterborough is engaging suppliers to drive meaningful Social Value

We are committed to opening up procurement to a wider range of bidders. This includes supporting sole traders, SMEs, start-ups and companies led by under-represented groups, ensuring they can access and compete for opportunities on a fair basis. By making procurement more inclusive, we encourage diverse suppliers to bring new ideas, strengthen our local economy, and help us meet our shared social value priorities.

For VCSEs

  • Connect with companies with donations to give
  • Request money, products, and skill-based volunteers
  • Streamlined tools for reporting back on social value
  • Grant reward for each social value impact report

For Suppliers

  • Nationwide VCSE matchmaking
  • Hyper-local social value delivery
  • 300,000 VCSEs and projects aligning with GOV SVM and TOM System™
  • Verified social value impact reporting

Map and match

Use our interactive map and filters to find the perfect hyper-local partners.

Suppliers can fast-track their matching by posting partnership offers for VCSEs to apply for.

Happy matching!