“DOING THE RIGHT THING IS THE BEST WAY TO DO BUSINESS”

As social value becomes increasingly prominent in the decision-making of businesses and public sector bodies alike, we convened a special Well Connected event, hosted by ACC Liverpool, to explore best practice in this area.

Liverpool Chamber chief executive Paul Cherpeau welcomed delegates, saying:

“Three years ago, ACC Liverpool launched a consultation exercise, to which we happily contributed, and concluded that social value should be at the centre of their approach, allowing them to make an impact beyond a single event.

“Social value has become crucial in procurement and it’s important that we are able to move away from a price-only model of assessment when tendering for contracts. We would like members to share their social value stories with the Chamber team so that we can incorporate them within our ongoing communications.

“I would also encourage businesses to get involved with the Local Skills Improvement Plan and our Quarterly Economic Survey, so that we can understand their ground level experiences and the needs of businesses.” their heating, ventilation and electric maintenance, and we work with them on Skills and talent development. It’s about identifying a way to create added value.”

Kathryn Gordon from DYNO Rod Machmade joined Hayley Smallman from Woodlands Hospice on stage to give more details of their Hope Flows campaign, which has also received support from other Chamber members including Oriel Studios.

Kathryn explained: “The complex services that Woodlands provides are absolutely vital for our communities. Cancer is no respecter of age, money or background.

Liverpool Chamber. These connections we are building with companies which as Oriel Studios simply wouldn’t be possible with our relationship with Liverpool Chamber.”

The final speaker was Andrew Beattie from Liverpool-based Kindred, which aims to help grow the social economy through a social investment fund.

“We are passionate about social value and the benefits it can bring. Our social value plan comprises four main strands - people, sustainability, influence and communityand our procurement processes run through all four of those.

“Ideally, we can source a local supplier and find ways to engage with and support other organisations. We want to use our status as an anchor organisation to benefit the local economy.”

“Our work with Kimpton is a great example of this approach. They did their research and understood that grass roots music is really important to us, so they approached us with the idea of working together to support Future Yard, an excellent live music venue in Birkenhead. Kimpton provides

My friend Katy Ennel, a real force of nature, discovered she had breast cancer aged 28 and died when she was just 31. The hospice cares for not only the patient, but the whole family, and that can continue even after their loved one has passed away.

“That’s why we are supporting the Hope Flows campaign. From 10 March to 17 April, every time a customer donates, the team will ring the Woodlands bell and for every bit of business booked during that time, we will donate 5% to the hospice.”

Hayley added: “The people that we look after have lived a good life and they deserve to have a good death as well. We are not a luxury service - everyone deserves what we provide. We give people something brighter, whether it’s raki, samba or our ‘tipple trolley’ for a taste of normality.

“We are so grateful for the support of the team at DYNO Rod Machmade, who have also donated an annual membership to

“We cover the wider Liverpool City Region and our fund has so far invested more than £3m so far, with Farm Urban and Future Yard among those receiving investment, resulting in a 77% increase in turnover across the portfolio. We also invest time and resources into organisations which are making a real difference.

“It is said that £1 spent locally can generate at least 70p of benefit to the local economy, while £1 spent locally and socially can be worth up to £1.70.

“People typically like to buy locally and socially, so we have created Based, a directory of social economy organisations. This currently stands at 200 but our aspiration is to grow that to 1,000 by summer and we believe there is potential that could rise to 2,500. So, please take a look and find the right partners to work with.”

There followed a panel discussion, where Eddie and Andrew were joined by Matt Breakwell, business development director at Kimpton. The session was chaired by the Chamber’s head of commercial services, Lizzie Hughes, who posed a number of questions.

What are the biggest misconceptions around procurement?

Eddie: “As a larger organisation, there can be an assumption that we won’t work with smaller suppliers, but the truth is very much the opposite. You just need to share our values and become a true partner.”

What lessons can other businesses learn regarding social value?

Matt: “What ACC did well was to set out their purpose and values very clearly. Sometimes these sections can be weak, but theirs was really clear - essentially to put Liverpool on the world stage. We realised they wanted to use a local firm if possible. Organisations should work out why they are there - what is their purpose and how can suppliers support that?

“What metrics do you use to monitor performance around social value?”

Matt: “Procurement can often be separate to operations, but at ACC it’s an agenda item with the contract delivery. Social value is built into our processes, e.g. donating replaced carpet tiles to charities.

Eddie: “We have KPIs but social value is embedded into those. Ambition might get you the contract, but social value runs through all of our work together and it can’t be measured each month or quarterly.”

Andrew: “It’s all about the choices you make as a business. Is it just for profit or to invest in your communities? Liverpool is arguably the kindest city in the UK and we regularly see the private and social sectors working closely together. Put simply, why wouldn’t you do it?” With changes being made to procurement regulations, will social value remain an important feature?

Andrew: “Yes, I certainly think so. There are tough trading conditions out there, but I’m optimistic - we have to decide it’s a priority. We have an established social economy here.

Matt: “The more you do, the easier it becomes. Doing the right thing is the best way to do business.”

What advice would you give to other organisations regarding social value?

Eddie: “Record everything that you do, then sit down and build a strategy around that.”

Matt: “Leverage your skills. Future Yard trains local young people in lighting and sound engineeringwe realised we could help them with their heating and ventilation maintenance. Use your skills for full impact.”

Andrew: “Look at what you already do, as you may find you are doing more than you realised. Use the Based database to find organisations and have a conversation about how you can work with them.

“We are so grateful for the support of the team at DYNO Rod Machmade, who have also donated an annual membership to Liverpool Chamber. These connections we are building with companies which as Oriel Studios simply wouldn’t be possible with our relationship with Liverpool Chamber.”

Hayley Smallman, Woodlands Hospice

“It’s all about the choices you make as a business. Is it just for profit or to invest in your communities? Liverpool is arguably the kindest city in the UK and we regularly see the private and social sectors working closely together. Put simply, why wouldn’t you do it?”

Andrew Beattie, Kindred

“The complex services that Woodlands provides are absolutely vital for our communities…that’s why we are supporting the Hope Flows campaign.”

Kathryn Gordon, DYNO Rod Machmade

“Social value has become crucial in procurement and it’s important that we are able to move away from a price-only model of assessment when tendering for contracts.”

Paul Cherpeau, Liverpool Chamber

“We are passionate about social value and the benefits it can bring. Our social value plan comprises four main strands - people, sustainability, influence and community - and our procurement processes run through all four of those.”

Eddie Dos Santos, ACC Liverpool

“Organisations should work out why they are there - what is their purpose and how can suppliers support that? The more you do, the easier it becomes. Doing the right thing is the best way to do business.”

Matt Breakwell, Kimpton

Eddie dos Santos,

Director of Operations and Venue Management, ACC Liverpool:

Why is attainment of social value particularly important to your organisation?

ACC Liverpool Group has put social value front and centre over the last three years, consciously paying attention to its role in the city and how we can maximise our positive impact on the local area and beyond. As an asset owned by the city for its people it is vital we take seriously our civic role and contribute to our community as best we can through our four pillars: people, sustainability, industry influence and community.

How important is social value likely to be in the coming years for your organisation? It will only become more important to support our communities as we strive to create a sustainable business rooted in the city. Procurement is a key part of our social value strategy and we know that our supply chain is an extension of us, so the more we can work with like minded organisations the more we can do together. Not only can we spend money with suppliers who are based locally, but together we can also find inventive ways to engage with and support other organisations. As one of the city region’s anchor institutions, we want to use our purchasing power and influence to support a local economy that’s kinder and fairer for everyone in it. What advice would you offer for potential suppliers or buyers in achieving genuinely positive social value outcomes?

The lens of social value really gives us all the opportunity to do a values check. By outlining our commitment to social value suppliers can look at it and quickly assess whether they believe in the same things, and that’s crucial to the success of the contract as well adding value.

Driving Social Value at DYNO Rod

Machmade Ltd:

At Machmade Ltd,trading as DYNO plumbing and drains, social value is at the core of our business. As a company deeply rooted in the community, we believe in making a lasting impact beyond our services. Whether it’s creating jobs, supporting local initiatives, or delivering essential services that improve lives, we are committed to giving back. Looking ahead, social value will be more important than ever. Businesses must stand for more than profit—they must invest in people, trust, and community well-being. That’s why we’ve chosen Woodlands Hospice as our charity partner. Their incredible work provides vital care and support to individuals and families facing life-limiting illnesses.

For businesses looking to make a difference, authenticity is key. Social value isn’t about ticking boxes—it’s about action, integrity, and collaboration. By working together, we can create real, positive change for the communities we serve.

Why is attainment of social value particularly important to your organisation?

“As a business deeply embedded in the community, social value is a fundamental part of what we do.”

Reg Illingworth, Director

How important is social value likely to be in the coming years for your organisation?

“Social value will define the future of business. Customers and partners increasingly expect companies to stand for something more.”

Neil Illingworth, Director

What advice would you offer for potential suppliers or buyers in achieving genuinely positive social value outcomes?

“Collaboration is key. The strongest social impact comes when businesses work together with shared values and a common goal.”

Kathryn Gordon Orr

Breakwell, business development director at Kimpton:

Why is attainment of social value particularly important to your organisation?

“As a proud values-led business, rooted in the Liverpool City Region, Kimpton has helped generations of local trainees develop their careers into long-term, senior roles.

“Social value is now increasingly central to planning and procurement requirements in the public and private sector, with skills and training, local supply chain commitments and carbon targets now commonplace.

“This shift benefits local suppliers such as ourselves as it levels the playing field versus larger, national firms and also makes clients more likely to use local suppliers who are better placed to meet the social value targets set.

“Social value and sustainability weightings in tenders were once 5-10% of the scoring matrix but that’s now 2030% as clients ask their supply chain to support their values and help reach net zero goals.

“Therefore, social value will intrinsically increase in importance over future years.

“SMEs offering good jobs, training our young people and supporting community schemes not only provide tangible benefit to local people, but their focus on ESG allows them to compete with national providers by proving they’re better placed to support their client’s values and deliver positive impact for the communities where we all live and work.”