“This is not about greenwashing. This is about organisations clearly demonstrating how they contribute to communities, which, in turn, strengthens both their reputation and their ability to secure contracts.”
Businesses across York and North Yorkshire are being warned they could be missing out on millions of pounds in major commercial opportunities as social value becomes a major factor in how public and private sector contracts are awarded.
That was the message from experts at a recent event held at York’s Guildhall earlier this month, organised by the Meaningful Business Network. Business leaders, social enterprises, researchers and public sector partners were all in attendance to explore how organisations can more clearly show the value they bring to local people and the regional economy.
Public procurement in the UK now exceeds £300 billion a year and central government contracts carry a minimum 10% in social value weighting. It means organisations unable to show how they support communities and the environment are increasingly losing out to their competitors at a time when customers and employees are also raising their expectations.
Yorkshire and the Humber is home to more than 14,000 social enterprises, contributing an estimated £1.4 billion to the regional economy. Speakers said the figures underline a growing emphasis towards business models that generate profit alongside community benefit.
Dr Alex Alterskye, a specialist in entrepreneurship and innovation at the University of York, encouraged attendees to see social value as a strategic opportunity rather than a box‑ticking exercise.
Dr Alex Alterskye said:
Social value is becoming a central part of how organisations compete and grow.
And more and more employees want to work for businesses that take this seriously. This is not about greenwashing.
This is about organisations clearly demonstrating how they contribute to communities, which, in turn, strengthens both their reputation and their ability to secure contracts.
Throughout the event, delegates discussed how organisations can generate social value in practical ways through collaboration, innovation, supporting wellbeing and building stronger relationships with local communities.
Dr Madeline Powell, a leading researcher in co‑production and social value at the University of York, emphasised the importance of partnership working.
Dr Madeline Powell said:
Many of the challenges communities face are too complex for any single organisation to solve alone.
When businesses collaborate across sectors, they can create solutions that are more sustainable whilst delivering both meaningful and long‑term impact.
We saw that clearly today in the innovative ideas people came up with during the workshop exercise.
Meanwhile, Sam Leach, Co‑Founder of Spark York C.I.C. and Chair of the York and North Yorkshire Community Wealth Building Commission, encouraged organisations to consider how their spending, supply chains and ownership models can help keep more wealth circulating locally.
Sam Leach said:
Economic growth does not automatically mean shared prosperity.
Social enterprises are still businesses and they need to make a profit.
The difference is that those profits are reinvested back into the community. If we want a stronger, fairer regional economy, we need more organisations thinking in that way.
Delegates also discussed practical steps organisations can take immediately, including aligning procurement with local priorities, improving how they measure and communicate social impact and working more collaboratively to deliver shared outcomes.
Organiser Katie Wytwyckyj, Programme Manager for the Meaningful Business Network, said the strong turnout reflected a growing shift in how organisations are approaching business success.
Katie Wytwyckyj said:
Businesses increasingly recognise that social value influences how they win work, attract talent and build trust.
What we saw today was a real appetite from organisations across the region to turn these ideas into action.
The Meaningful Business Network, a partnership between Enterprise Works and the University of York’s School for Business and Society, supports organisations across York and North Yorkshire with events, workshops and practical tools to help embed social value into everyday decision‑making.
To join the Meaningful Business Network
