Social value annual statement 2025/26

Demonstrating how procurement and supplier partnerships contribute to our Moving the Dial priorities

Reporting context

This statement reports social value activity and impact for the financial year 2025/26. As publication follows the introduction of our Moving the Dial priorities for 2026/27, it also explains how the benefits secured through procurement provide a foundation for those priorities and will inform our future approach.

We use procurement activity and relationships with suppliers to secure additional economic, social and community benefits for Lancashire. During 2025/26, suppliers made commitments relating to local employment, apprenticeships, careers support, local and voluntary-sector supply chains, community initiatives and environmental improvements.

This activity provides a foundation for supporting our Moving the Dial priorities for 2026/27. Employment, training and careers activity can support better outcomes for children, young people and families; community investment and volunteering can strengthen civic pride and community resilience; local supply-chain expenditure can contribute to investment and growth; and responsible business and innovation can support service transformation and organisational effectiveness.

We will strengthen the connection between social value and these priorities. Future procurements will identify the outcomes most relevant to the service being commissioned, select proportionate measures and require suppliers to explain how their commitments will contribute to residents, communities and the effective delivery of our services.

We will continue to use the Lancashire Themes, Outcomes and Measures (TOMs) framework and the Social Value Portal to evaluate, monitor and evidence delivery. The emphasis will increasingly be on demonstrating the practical difference achieved, rather than reporting financial proxy values alone.

Performance at a glance

• £69.83m committed social value

• £18.53m delivered social value

• 26.54% of commitments delivered

• 64 live projects

• £269.54m contract value included

• 6.87% social value added

Social value is the additional economic, social and environmental benefit generated through the way we commission and manages goods, works and services. It helps ensure public expenditure delivers wider benefit alongside the core contractual requirement.

Our ambition is to integrate social value into all relevant stages of the procurement and contract management lifecycle. For procurement activity above £100,000, social value is considered as an evaluated element unless a clear and justified exemption is approved. Relevant tenders normally apply a minimum weighting of 10%.

The Lancashire Themes, Outcomes and Measures (TOMs) framework provides a consistent basis for selecting, evaluating and monitoring supplier commitments. Commitments are incorporated into contracts and supported through evidence-based reporting, supplier review and corporate oversight.

Principles for delivery

• Additional benefits should be above and beyond the core contract requirement.

• Relevant measures should reflect the subject matter, scale and delivery context of the contract. 

• Measurable commitments should have clear units, milestones, ownership and evidence requirements.

• Deliverable evaluation should test both the quantity proposed and the credibility of the delivery plan.

• Place-based activity should respond to the needs of Lancashire’s residents, communities and economy.

• Proportionate requirements should focus on a manageable number of outcomes that can be actively monitored.

Moving the Dial focuses attention on a defined group of priorities where we intend to achieve measurable improvement. Social value is not a substitute for statutory services or core contract delivery, but it can complement those priorities by mobilising supplier expertise, employment opportunities, community investment and local partnerships.

Improvement in services for children with SEND and a family-friendly Lancashire

Social value can complement work to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND and to build a family-friendly Lancashire. Relevant supplier contributions may include supported employment, work experience, apprenticeships, careers activity, mentoring and collaboration with schools, colleges and community organisations.

• Use employment, skills and careers measures where they are relevant to the contract.

• Encourage accessible opportunities for young people and people facing barriers to employment.

• Define the intended beneficiaries and evidence required at the start of the contract.

Adult health and wellbeing: Living Better Lives in Lancashire

Through relevant contracts, social value can support prevention, independence, wellbeing and stronger community capacity. Contributions may include employment and skills opportunities, volunteering, support for community organisations and initiatives designed with local partners.

• Distinguish additional social value from our statutory adult social care responsibilities.

• Use community and workforce measures where they have a clear connection to the service.

• Capture resident or partner experience where this can be done proportionately and reliably.

Transforming highways, infrastructure, investment and growth

Social value within highways, infrastructure and other place-based contracts can support local employment, apprenticeships, skills development and opportunities for Lancashire businesses and voluntary-sector organisations. This helps ensure investment in physical infrastructure also contributes to economic opportunity and resilient local supply chains.

• Identify opportunities for local employment and apprenticeships at planning stage.

• Encourage proportionate engagement with local SMEs and VCSEs.

• Monitor supply-chain commitments alongside the core contract programme.

Civic pride across Lancashire’s communities

Social value provides a practical route through which suppliers can contribute to civic pride and stronger communities. Community investment, volunteering and partnerships can support participation, resilience, culture, heritage and activities that bring people together.

• Connect suppliers with established community organisations and volunteering opportunities.

• Prioritise initiatives that respond to evidenced local need.

• Use case studies to demonstrate participation and community outcomes, not only financial inputs.

Financial sustainability and service transformation

Social value must be delivered in a way that supports, rather than adds unnecessary complexity to, procurement and contract management. Consistent measures, proportionate requirements, digital monitoring and evidence validation help us understand whether agreed benefits are being realised.

• Focus on fewer, relevant and deliverable commitments.

• Integrate review into routine contract-performance arrangements.

• Use proxy values alongside evidence of outputs, outcomes and practical benefit.

Local Government Reorganisation

As Lancashire prepares for Local Government Reorganisation, we will take a proportionate approach that protects service continuity and avoids commitments that cannot be effectively transferred, monitored or delivered through transition.

• Maintain clear records of commitments, evidence, ownership and outstanding delivery.

• Consider whether benefits remain relevant and transferable to successor arrangements.

• Use contract-specific measures where these better support continuity and joint working.

Since the introduction of our renewed social value approach in February 2024 and full roll out in November 2024, we have made significant progress in embedding, delivering and evidencing social value across its procurement and contract‑management activities. The period to March 2026 reflects the first full cycle of implementing the Lancashire Themes, Outcomes and Measures (TOMs) framework through the Social Value Portal, as well as applying our strengthened social value policy requirements.

Work commitments

Economic commitments

 Social and community commitments

Environmental commitments

Innovative commitments

To ensure Lancashire County Council continues to strengthen and deliver its social value ambitions, a structured approach to planning, ownership and performance monitoring will continue to be applied. This ensures accountability, visibility and continuous improvement across the organisation and delivery against the our social value strategy and plan.

Policy and vision - Lancashire TOMs (refresh)

During 2025, we reviewed and revised its Corporate Plan with update ambitions in the following areas:

• Better lives for all - ensure more children and young people have the best start in life, families are more resilient, adults are supported to live more independent lives, and that everyone can live a healthy and happier life.

• Stronger communities - ensure our communities are safer and more resilient, encourage people to play their part, promote our rich heritage and culture, and protect our environment for future generations.

• Economic ambition - work with the business community to equip people with the right skills to secure rewarding work, invest in Lancashire, improve transport and digital connectivity, and grow the local economy.

• Thinking differently - focus on delivering high-quality public services, providing the right help at the right time, embracing digital and technological innovation and developing the best possible workforce.

To reflect these changes, the Lancashire TOMs have been reviewed and the number of measures reduced to align with the our2025-2030 Plan.

Governance, management and reporting - social value governance

A formalised governance approach to social value provides for a clear structure, accountability, and consistency in delivering positive outcomes for communities. By establishing defined processes and responsibilities, we can ensure that social value objectives are integrated into decision-making, monitored effectively, and aligned with broader strategic goals. To achieve, we will assign a Cabinet Member to ultimately be accountable for the delivery of the our social value policy and strategy. They will be supported by an Executive Director or Director who will be responsible for overseeing policy and strategy delivery.

Commissioning and procurement - category plans

A category plan sets out the approach for delivering social, economic, and environmental benefits within a specific area of procurement or service delivery. It identifies the priorities, key actions, and measurable outcomes that align with the overarching social value objectives for that category, such as supporting local employment, fostering community wellbeing, and promoting sustainability. By tailoring the plan to the unique needs of each category, we can ensure that social value is embedded throughout their operations and that positive impacts are maximised for local communities.

To achieve this, we will develop guidance to support category leads drafting this plan. The guidance will be tested across at least three categories of spend to learn and improve the approach.

Greater Lancashire approach - partnering refresh

Historically, each Lancashire TOM (Theme, Outcome and Measure) has been paired with a local community organisation to foster collaboration and maximise local impact. To refresh this approach, the partnering process will be updated to ensure closer alignment with the current needs and priorities of both the Lancashire TOMs, our Lancashire partners and community organisations. This will involve a review of existing partnerships, consultation with stakeholders, and the identification of organisations whose aims best complement each of Lancashire TOM’s objectives.

Moving forward, partnerships will be formalised through joint action plans and regular engagement, enabling community organisations to contribute expertise and local knowledge, while Lancashire TOMs provide resources and support. This refreshed model aims to deliver more effective outcomes, strengthen community resilience, and ensure that initiatives are tailored to local contexts.

Contract management - case studies

Case studies provide a detailed accounts of specific project, initiative, or partnership that demonstrate how social, economic, or environmental benefits have been delivered in practice. They provide real-world examples that showcase the tangible impact of programmes, highlight best practice, and illustrate the ways in which objectives such as community wellbeing, sustainability, and local employment have been achieved.

The benefits of case studies include enabling organisations to share lessons learned, promote transparency, and inspire others by showing what is possible. They help stakeholders understand the value and outcomes of social initiatives, support continuous improvement, and can be used as evidence for future funding or partnership opportunities. By documenting successes and challenges, case studies also encourage replication of effective approaches and foster a culture of learning within organisations and communities.

Moving the Dial priorities

Procurement initiation and commissioning documents will identify which Moving the Dial priority, if any, the contract can materially support. Social value requirements will then be selected according to the subject matter, scale and delivery context. The below outlines how measures can align to our priorities.