As the new Procurement Act comes into force on February 24, 2025, organizations will need to sharpen their approach to setting, tracking, and reporting on social value commitments. This shift underscores the growing emphasis on measurable impact, with businesses across sectors striving to showcase their contributions to society in a transparent and meaningful way.

A key development aiding this transition is MeasureUp, a newly launched and freely accessible platform designed to streamline the valuation of social impact. Developed in collaboration with Impact Reporting, State of Life, and PRD, MeasureUp is tackling one of the most persistent challenges in social value assessment—how to quantify and communicate real impact beyond traditional financial metrics.

The Need for Transparency in Social Value Reporting

With social value becoming an integral part of public procurement policies, organizations are increasingly held accountable for demonstrating the impact of their initiatives. The National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS) and the PPN 002 Social Value Model emphasize the need for refined and adaptable approaches based on market conditions and feedback.

However, existing frameworks, including the Social Value Model, Procurement Policy PPN 06/20, and the National TOMs Framework, present limitations in their ability to fully capture the breadth of social and environmental contributions. MeasureUp aims to bridge these gaps by offering a more comprehensive and nuanced perspective on social value measurement.

A New Era of Inclusive Social Value Assessment

MeasureUp promotes a blended approach to measurement, allowing organizations to supplement existing methodologies with additional indicators that capture lesser-recognized impact areas. This is particularly beneficial for SMEs and VCSEs, who often struggle with the financial burden of costly assessment tools. By eliminating subscription fees, MeasureUp aligns with the Procurement Act’s intent to create a more level playing field for public sector bidding.

Matt Haworth, co-founder of Impact Reporting and MeasureUp, highlights the platform’s transformative potential:

**“We want to progress the social value agenda by helping organisations move away from merely counting outputs to measuring the true outcomes of their initiatives.

“MeasureUp helps showcase the value of less conventional activities that could in fact be game-changing for a particular community. Besides focusing on easier-to-quantify schemes, such as apprenticeships and volunteering, we’re working hard to explore and evidence the impact of other known wellbeing factors – for instance, adult learning for work, engaging in youth activities, improving housing, or providing access to green spaces.”**

Combating ‘Purpose-Washing’ with Data-Driven Insights

A major challenge in the social value space is the risk of ‘purpose-washing’—the tendency for organizations to make vague or unsubstantiated impact claims. To counteract this, the MeasureUp team has meticulously analyzed thousands of data points to offer credible and evidence-backed benchmarks for decision-makers.

One of the key insights from the platform’s valuation data is that good mental health is twice as important as physical health in overall wellbeing assessments. Similarly, volunteering delivers only half the wellbeing benefit of committing to weekly physical activity. These insights help organizations prioritize initiatives that drive the greatest positive outcomes while fostering participation in activities that might otherwise be overlooked.

A Dynamic and Evolving Framework

The MeasureUp platform remains a work in progress, continuously refining its valuation framework to address emerging challenges in social impact assessment. Upcoming additions to the platform will expand its scope to include factors such as:

• The impact of wealth inequality on life satisfaction
• Community wealth-building programs
• STEM and digital skills development
• Inclusion and accessibility initiatives

Aligned with the WELLBY methodology, ONS 10 dimensions of wellbeing, the UK government’s Green Book guidance, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Central Government Social Value Model, MeasureUp provides organizations with a robust, government-aligned structure for assessing their impact.

The Road Ahead

As social value continues to gain prominence in procurement and corporate responsibility, tools like MeasureUp will play a crucial role in shaping the future of transparent and equitable impact assessment. By equipping businesses with the means to accurately measure and communicate their contributions, MeasureUp is helping drive a more accountable, data-driven approach to social value.

For organizations navigating the new procurement landscape, leveraging tools like MeasureUp presents an opportunity to not only comply with regulations but also to lead with integrity, demonstrating meaningful, measurable contributions to society.