The April 2026 release introduces Thrive Validation – the UK market’s first system-enforced, standards-aligned data quality layer for social value – alongside Full Data Entry for all customers.
London, 15 April 2026. Social value is weighted in procurement, scrutinised by investors, and cited by ministers, yet most of it is still gathered through processes that would be unacceptable for any other type of formal reporting. Data enters systems unchecked, sits unreviewed for months, and is rarely tested against the requirements of the framework it claims to follow.
Thrive, the social value technology company whose platform and Impact Evaluation Standard are used by hundreds of UK organisations including HMRC and the Cabinet Office, today launches a major update to both its framework and its platform. The release introduces two significant new capabilities:
- Full Data Entry moves social value data capture from high-level totals to detailed, evidence-aligned records
- Thrive Validation is a real-time data quality layer that checks every record against over 1,000 rules derived from the Impact Evaluation Standard at the point of entry.
The launch addresses what Thrive describes as the central challenge now facing the social value sector: the gap between the growing weight placed on social impact data and the rigour with which that data is collected.
“The argument for measuring social value has been won.”
“But the data behind those measurements needs to withstand the scrutiny that now comes with that recognition. No finance director would accept unvalidated figures flowing into departmental accounts. Social value data should be held to the same standard. Not with retrospective reviews months after submission, but with quality built into the system at the point of entry.”
Benjamin Fellowes – Director of Product, Thrive
Thrive Validation and Full Data Entry
A major problem with “spreadsheet” data collection is inconsistency. For social value teams managing data collection across multiple projects, sites, and supply chain contributors, structured data that meets the same standard regardless of who enters it is essential.
Full Data Entry is available to all Thrive customers from today at no additional cost. Every metric in the Impact Evaluation Standard now has a defined set of additional data fields, enabling organisations to capture richer context around each activity. This provides clearer insights, stronger evidence trails, and audit-ready records.
Thrive Validation, available as a paid add-on, builds on this foundation. It applies intelligent, standards-aligned rules to each record in real time, providing immediate feedback to data collectors while the information is fresh and any correction is straightforward. Two modes are available and configurable at project level
- Strict mode blocks submission until all checks pass
- Advisory mode flags recommendations without preventing entry
The result is social value data that arrives at bids, board reports, and Cabinet Office returns already quality-assured, reducing risk, eliminating last-minute scrambles, and giving organisations confidence in the figures they present to stakeholders.
Impact Evaluation Standard April 2026 Update
Alongside the platform changes, the Impact Evaluation Standard April 2026 update represents the most substantial annual review in the framework’s history. Rather than focusing primarily on new metrics, the investment has gone into precision and consistency.
Every metric has been reviewed, evidence requirements sharpened and itemised, and recording guidance clarified with examples.
The update reflects Thrive’s conviction that the foundations of robust social value measurement matter as much as the breadth of what can be measured.
Why This Matters for Social Value
Today’s release is the first stage of a broader assurance pathway:
- Validation confirms that data meets the rules and requirements of the Impact Evaluation Standard
- The next stage, Verification, will check whether the evidence matches the data entered, and is planned for later in 2026
- The ultimate objective? Full audit readiness
Our ambition is for social impact data to be treated with the same rigour as financial data: structured, validated at the point of entry, and defensible under independent scrutiny.
For organisations reporting social value, whether in procurement bids, investor disclosures, or public-facing ESG reports, the practical implications are significant. Better-quality data means stronger bids, more credible reporting, and reduced exposure to the audit and compliance risks that accompany unstructured, unverified figures.
For contracting authorities managing diverse supply chains under PPN 026 and 002, it means consistent, comparable data arriving in a form that is ready for Cabinet Office returns without remediation.
And for the sector as a whole, it represents a step toward the kind of maturity that will determine whether social value retains the credibility it has fought hard to earn.
“The social value sector has done remarkable work making the case for measurement,” Fellowes added. “Now the challenge is making those measurements trustworthy. That is not a future aspiration. It is an urgent, practical requirement for every organisation whose social value figures are used in high-stakes decisions.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
Thrive is a UK social value technology company. Its platform and Impact Evaluation Standard are used by hundreds of organisations across construction, infrastructure, technology, professional services, real estate, and central government. Customers include HMRC, the Cabinet Office, Kier, Equifax, and AMS. The Impact Evaluation Standard is developed and maintained by an independent steering committee of industry experts, economists, and representatives from special interest groups.
For more information, visit Impact Evaluation Standard or contact press@thriveplatform.com.
Alan Boyce
Senior Researcher More articles by Alan >
