What happens when you’re already delivering social impact as a business but need to get better at reporting on and proving it? When social value legislation was introduced, community-spirited construction company The Casey Group Ltd (Casey) needed to...
Jump to section: What are the themes and topics you need to think about? How to find social value in each theme A few weeks ago we talked about ‘what is social value’, explaining different ways in which it can be accounted for within society. There has been a lot of...
Employee engagement matters. And the companies that have the highest levels of engagement tend to be those that also have well-developed social impact strategies. Here we highlight five key ways your social impact strategy can enhance employee engagement. These...
With the introduction of the Social Value Act in 2012 and the Social Value Model in public procurement since January 2021, we have seen significant adoption of social value within businesses across the UK in the last two years. With no clear definition of social...
Real Social Impact by Individuals, in Real Time What happens to old Christmas trees when the decorations get put away for another year? Well, one has gone on to become a local landmark and has raised money for the Simon Community, a leading homelessness charity… And...
When it comes to employment, diversity is an important topic and one that, while talked about a lot and outlined in the Social Value Model, is not always an easy thing to deliver on. Studies have repeatedly shown that diversity promotes productivity and innovation....
COP27 saw world leaders descend upon Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh resort in force for two weeks in November. The stakes? Just the future of most life on earth, as international delegations sought to decide on the next steps in the struggle against climate...
At Thrive, we’ve talked many times about what social value is, how it should be measured and reported on, and how businesses can win more public contracts by understanding it better. But until now our blogs have touched little upon the history of social value or...
Now in its eleventh year, Giving Tuesday is a global campaign that encourages individuals and businesses alike to act to support good causes. This year’s event is set to take place on November 29th, so now is the perfect time to start planning how Giving Tuesday...
On April 1 2022, all NHS bodies commissioning goods and services under the supervision of NHS England - plus bodies acting on their behalf - were required to give a mandatory weighting to Social Value considerations in awarding contracts. With the NHS accounting...
Is volunteering good for business? Because it is a large part of our cultural psyche. Millions of us give up time on a regular basis to do voluntary work. According to the last government Community Life Survey for 2020-2021, 19 million people in England were...
What can businesses do to help Ukraine? Since the Russian military invaded Ukraine on February 24, millions of people have left their homes and the country’s infrastructure has been devastated. And even if Russian troops were to withdraw today, the humanitarian...
Having a social enterprise within your business can make a big difference when it comes to winning public procurement bids under the terms of the Social Value Model. In this blog, Thrive takes a look at one social enterprise that’s having a tremendous impact on job...
“Greenwashing” by businesses is firmly in the sights of governments and regulators around the world. If your business is now more alert to your environmental impact and the need to create sustainable systems or if you are claiming credit in bids for your environmental...
Small businesses aren’t exempt from the need to demonstrate social value when they bid for public contracts. And an SME that finds itself in competition with the big players is not at a disadvantage. In fact, the Social Value Model goes a long way to level the playing...
Covid-19 Recovery is the final Theme from the Social Value Model that we’re going to look at in this series of blogs. In some ways, the social and economic recovery from the pandemic of the last two years ties all the other Themes together: Equal Opportunity:...
Climate change is the greatest challenge of our age. And while it may sometimes feel overwhelming in its scale, the fact is that every individual and every organisation can play a part in preventing it. By now, most businesses in the UK carry out some kind of...
Did you know that many of your company’s “business as usual” activities are probably generating significant social value? That’s because one of the five Themes set out in the Social Value Model is “Tackling Economic Inequality”. And as we’ll show in this blog...
In barely 20 years, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) has come to dominate financial thinking. This is clearly a cause for celebration: the fact that markets and investors favour responsible companies is hugely welcome. But there is a growing sense that ESG...
The Impact Evaluation Standard (IES) has announced the members of its 2022 Steering Committee. They will guide the direction of the IES in the coming year and ensure that both innovation and the environment are high on the agenda when measuring the social impact...
Welcome to the second of our series of blogs looking at the five social value Themes that the government set out in the Social Value Model. This time, we’re looking at Wellbeing. Just as in the last blog (on Equal Opportunity), we’ll explore: What kinds of...
Public procurement rules are changing! December 2020 saw the publication of the Green Paper, “Transforming Public Procurement”, and the start of a three-month consultation period. A year on and the government has published its response to that consultation,...
The government’s Social Value Model has brought much-needed clarity to the questions of “what counts as social value?” and “how should it be dealt with in public procurement?” It explores in detail how procuring bodies and businesses looking to submit bids can adhere...
The built environment and construction accounts for 38% of total global carbon emissions. So it may surprise you to learn that: The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’s COP summits have only had a day specifically dedicated to buildings since 2015 This year’s...
450 of the world’s biggest financial companies - controlling 40% of total global assets, worth $130 trillion - pledged to achieve Net Zero by 2050 at the COP26 summit. But what does that mean in practice? What lessons are there for other businesses to learn from...
"Kier has partnered with Thrive, which is delivering a social value calculator that will capture, track and demonstrate social value across the Group. The Thrive platform is aligned to Kier’s Building for a Sustainable World framework, supporting each of its...
The social benefits generated by providing safe, affordable housing for those in need have always been a priority for housing associations. And the revolution in social value requirements that began with PPN06/20 and which will take a big leap forwards with the...
I was recently invited to join a panel discussion at a thought provoking seminar at the Leeds Digital Festival led by the fantastic Rob Wolfe of CHY Consultancy, during which I got to both talk to and learn from a group of innovative CSR and Impact Managers. Rob gave...
Thrive are delighted to share that Kinovo PLC are using the Thrive platform to track and report their social value endeavours across their business and their 4 subsidiaries; DCB, Purdy, R.Dunham and Spokemead. This is especially exciting as Kinovo have recently gone...
Gardiner & Theobald (G&T) is an independent construction and property consultancy working across all sectors of the built environment. They deliver Project Leadership, Commercial Success, Construction Excellence and Specialist Consultancy and are now known for...
Here at Thrive we have been talking a lot about climate change and the drive to net zero. I cannot stress enough what an important topic I feel this is. So many of the other social and community endeavours our clients undertake will become harder, more expensive and...
Climate crisis. CO2 emissions. Net zero. Carbon neutral. There is no denying that these are hot topics and as we have previously discussed, businesses are poised to make a difference. Consumers, clients, even law makers all look to business to understand what is...
Major climate changes are inevitable and irreversible. You must have been living under a rock if you have avoided the debate on climate change over the past few decades. More recently the conversation shifted to less debate and more concern – but now the sense of...
Exciting news for a sustainable future as new measures will require businesses to commit to net zero by 2050 and publish clear and credible carbon reduction plans before they can bid for major government contracts. Supporting the "Build Back Greener" mantra, this new...
Capturing, calculating and tracking social value data does not just have to be for those with thousands of employees and big budgets. It is cost effective - and essential - for SMEs too. Here Kenny Waste Management - Manchester's largest independent total waste...
The Queen officially reopened parliament on 11th May and with that she gave her 10 minute speech on what she envisions for the year ahead, including a new procurement bill. New Procurement Bill In her speech, the Queen laid out that her priority was to deliver a...
Osborne is one of the leading construction businesses in the UK. As a family-owned business, they are known for having the freedom and flexibility to take a different approach. They focus on creating structures and spaces that provide an environment for people to...
Win Business with Social Value Welcome to the final of our 3 part series on Winning Business through Social Value. This is a guide for construction contractors. Last time we looked at the first 2 steps you need to consider when implementing your Social Value strategy...
Social value in construction. Welcome to part 2 in our 3 part series on Winning Business through Social Value. This is a guide for construction contractors. Last week we talked about what Social Value is in terms of government tenders. This week we will talk you...
Here at Thrive, we help businesses demonstrate the extensive social value they create. Whether large or small, and irrespective of industry type, it's astonishing the hidden impact many businesses are having. Our tools help them show both stakeholders, the community...
Acronyms are a mainstay of the corporate world. If you've ever worked for a large company your days would no doubt have been filled with in house shortenings that only you and your well entrenched company colleagues would understand. A sort of day-to-day code for...
Welcome to the first in our 3-part series on Winning Business through Social Value. This is a guide for construction contractors; We will talk you through the 4 critical steps you need to consider when implementing your Social Value strategy to help you win tenders....
For some companies, the notion of corporate responsibility (CR) is still embedded in ideas of philanthropy and good works rather than being recognised as a necessary and sustainable approach to running a business. For these companies, it's still more about what they...
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were launched by the United Nations in 2015 as a ‘global framework for a sustainable future’, aimed at ending poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring prosperity for all. Whilst set up to be implemented by governments, the...
I speak to CSR and Community Relations Managers all the time - in lots of different countries and in lots of different industries. I see fantastic diversity in the community support that is being given by our corporates all over the world and well developed community...
We are often amazed how hard it is for a business to get CSR feedback on the difference their donations, grants or volunteering hours have made to the community. It is understandable though. Both businesses and community organisations are so incredibly busy that after...