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  • 3 minutes
  • 03/02/2020
University becomes first to adopt social value in procurement

University becomes first to adopt social value in procurement

The University of Manchester has become the first higher education institution in the UK to adopt the Social Value Portal.

The University of Manchester has become the first higher education institution in the UK to adopt the Social Value Portal.

This will help the University maximise its ‘social value’ by helping to organise its spending practices and procurement processes in a more sustainable and creative way.

The Social Value Portal is the UK’s leading online tool that helps organisations prioritise and measure their social value when they procure – or pay for – major services. These services can include local job opportunities, environmental outcomes and community wellbeing, particularly in areas such as construction.

The Social Value Portal is already used widely across the public sector including at the Local Government Association and the NHS.

Dr Julian Skyrme, Director of Social Responsibility, said: “We are the first university to achieve Level 5 in the Government’s Flexible Framework for socially responsible procurement. We’ve also created more than 200 local jobs and a record £19.7 million of social value through our MECD campus development contract with Balfour Beatty. Becoming the first university to adopt the Social Value Portal will elevate us to the best practice in procurement and will better link the way we spend our money to our civic ambitions and the global Sustainable Development Goals”.

Guy Battle, Chief Executive of the Social Value Portal, said: “As Europe’s top ranked university for the Sustainable Development Goals, and a pioneer in university social responsibility, it’s fitting that The University of Manchester becomes our first higher education partner by adopting the Social Value Portal.

Eamon Boylan, Chief Executive of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, said: “The University of Manchester is one of the biggest spenders and employers in our city region so I’m delighted it’s becoming the first University to adopt the use of the Social Value Portal. Joining other local authorities in Greater Manchester by using this tool, they are showing their commitment to benefiting local people and businesses from their procurement plans.”

 

Notes

  1. The University of Manchester is the only university in the UK to have social responsibility as a core goal https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/vision/
  2. The University of Manchester is ranked top in Europe and third in the world for impact on the UN Sustainable Development Goals – https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/social-responsibility/sdgs/
  3. The Social Value Portal is an on-line solution that allows organisations to measure and manage the contribution that their organisation and supply chain makes to society, according to the principles laid out within the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012. They allow organisations to report both non-financial and financial data and rewards organisations for doing “more good” in the community – https://socialvalueportal.com/