Event round-up
28 Apr 2025

Mission-Led Social Value: A New Era for Tech and Public Impact

techUK's Social Value Week was a testament that technology is already a transformative force in its own right—reshaping how we live, work, and connect. Layering social value onto that inherent power doesn’t replace it; it amplifies it, unlocking an additional dimension of positive impact for communities and society.

techUK's  Social Value Week was a testament that technology is already a transformative force in its own right—reshaping how we live, work, and connect. Layering social value onto that inherent power doesn’t replace it; it amplifies it, unlocking an additional dimension of positive impact for communities and society.  

Throughout the week more than 20 techUK members showcased how they are providing social value in their public sector delivery. Each day of the campaign was dedicated to a different lens on impact—Tech for Good, Social Value in Practice, Local Impact, Putting the Value in Social Value, and, midway through, a deep-dive on Mission-Led Social Value. The day's discussion posed a simple question with significant implications: Do you think the Government’s missions help meet social value initiatives? How do the Government’s missions' factor into your social value engagements? 

Key Themes of Mission-led Social Value 

So, what happens when policy missions meet day-to-day delivery? The guest blogs revealed five recurring ideas that reshape how tech suppliers design, measure and scale their impact.  

  1. From 'Themes' to 'Missions', Policy Is Getting Sharper: The new PPN 002 Social Value Model replaces broad themes of the previous model with five laser-focused missions based on the Government's Plan for Change: safer streets, clean energy, economic growth, breaking down barriers, and an NHS fit for the future. This shift signifies a new direction and urgency in social value initiatives. Suppliers now must prove direct alignment with those missions rather than offering generic 'good deeds'. Pre-market engagement, more explicit award criteria and tougher KPIs mean social value is moving from rhetoric to regulated delivery. 

  1. Purpose Has Moved In-House: Companies are embedding social value into business strategy, recruitment and product design. The message is clear: impact cannot be an add-on; it must be a line item in the P&L and a pillar of company culture. Smaller, value-led consultancies use this authenticity to punch above their weight in public-sector competitions.  

  1. Skills & Inclusion Are the Prime Currency: Apprenticeships and career pathways repeatedly surface as the quickest route to demonstrable social value. Whether it's digital training, frontline secondments, or community-based tech academies, these models channel public spending into local jobs, diversity, and levelling-up outcomes—three targets every modern tender now must hit. The significance and impact of these initiatives cannot be overstated. However, these kinds of offerings can pose a challenge for SMEs. The techUK report Navigating Social Value: Challenges Facing Tech SMEs in Government Procurement detailed the various pain points and opportunities social value presents to small and medium-sized companies. In this report, we find that SMEs want a clearer picture from stakeholders on what social value can look like for them, allowing them greater opportunity in the procurement process.   

  2. Tech for Good Extends to Planet and Community: Beyond workforce initiatives, the sector is turning its core capabilities on systemic problems. Circular economy approaches attack e-waste, health-tech pilots close care gaps, and data platforms help confront gender-based violence. The common denominator is technology that builds scalable, replicable solutions that last long after a single contract ends.  

  3. Impact Must Be Co-Designed, Layered and Measured: A "layers of value" mindset, business-as-usual activity, contract-specific pledges and innovation projects mark a new maturity in social-value thinking. Suppliers are expected to consult stakeholders early, co-design realistic outcomes and back every promise with recognised metrics and independent verification. In short, if you can't measure it, you can't claim it.  

Social value in UK tech is entering its results phase. Winning suppliers will be those who weave mission-aligned impact into their day-to-day operations, cultivate diverse digital talent and back everything with complex data. Everyone else risks getting left behind in the new procurement landscape. 

Next steps 

Following our campaign week, techUK will build on these themes of social value, and continue to help our members navigate the new social value model. Join us for the Unpacking mission-led social value webinar on 8 May, from 15:00 to 16:00, featuring Samantha Butler, Head of Social Value Commercial Policy at the Cabinet Office.   

This session will offer insight into how social value policy is evolving following the release of PPN 002 in February 2025. It will focus on the changes that aim to support the Government's five strategic missions and what that means for suppliers and public sector bodies. 

 

Heather Cover-Kus

Heather Cover-Kus

Head of Central Government Programme, techUK

Heather is Head of Central Government Programme at techUK, working to represent the supplier community of tech products and services to Central Government.

Prior to joining techUK in April 2022, Heather worked in the Economic Policy and Small States Section at the Commonwealth Secretariat.  She led the organisation’s FinTech programme and worked to create an enabling environment for developing countries to take advantage of the socio-economic benefits of FinTech.

Before moving to the UK, Heather worked at the Office of the Prime Minister of The Bahamas and the Central Bank of The Bahamas.

Heather holds a Graduate Diploma in Law from BPP, a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from LSE, and a BA in Economics and Sociology from Macalester College.

Email:
[email protected]
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-cover-kus-ba636538

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Ellie Huckle

Ellie Huckle

Programme Manager, Central Government, techUK

Ellie joined techUK in March 2018 as a Programme Assistant to the Public Sector team and now works as a Programme Manager for the Central Government Programme.

The programme represents the supplier community of technology products and services in Central Government – in summary working to make Government a more informed buyer, increasing supplier visibility in order to improve their chances of supplying to Government Departments, and fostering better engagement between the public sector and industry. To find out more about what we do, how we do this and how you can get involved – make sure to get in touch!

Prior to joining techUK, Ellie completed Sixth Form in June 2015 and went on to work in Waitrose, moved on swiftly to walking dogs and finally, got an office job working for a small local business in North London, where she lives with her family and their two Bengal cats Kai and Nova.

When she isn’t working Ellie likes to spend time with her family and friends, her cats, and enjoys volunteering for diabetes charities. She has a keen interest in writing, escaping with a good book and expanding her knowledge watching far too many quiz shows!

Email:
[email protected]
Phone:
020 7331 2015
Twitter:
@techUK,@techUK
Website:
www.techuk.org,www.techuk.org
LinkedIn:
https://bit.ly/3mtQ7Jx,https://bit.ly/3mtQ7Jx

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Charles Bauman

Charles Bauman

Junior Programme Manager - Central Government, techUK

Charles Bauman is a Junior Programme Manager in the Central Government Programme at techUK.

He supports the programme’s mission to represent the technology supplier community to the UK government and advocate for digital innovation to address public sector challenges. Charles helps facilitate market engagement, foster partnerships, and ensure that tech suppliers and the government work collaboratively to improve outcomes, deliver value for money, and enhance public services for citizens.

Before joining techUK, Charles gained significant experience in research, analysis, and strategic advisory roles. At H/Advisors Cicero, he specialised in public affairs and corporate communications, while at Verdantix, he supported sustainability research and advisory projects, focusing on regulatory and environmental challenges.

Charles holds an MSc in Theory and History of International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and an MA in Medieval History from King’s College London.

Charles enjoys volunteering with a think tank, reading, hiking, and spending time with his dog and family outside of work.

Email:
[email protected]
Website:
www.techuk.org
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-bauman-75712016b/

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Tracy Modha

Tracy Modha

Programme Marketing Assistant for Public Sector Markets, techUK

Tracy supports the marketing of several areas at techUK, including Cyber Exchange, Central Government, Cyber Resilience, Defence, Education, Health and Social Care, Justice and Emergency Services, Local Public Services, Nations and Regions and National Security.

Tracy joined techUK in March 2022, having worked in the education sector for 19 years, covering administration, research project support, IT support and event/training support. My most outstanding achievement has been running three very successful international conferences and over 300 training courses booked all over the globe!

Tracy has a great interest in tech. Gaming and computing have been a big part of her life, and now electric cars are an exciting look at the future. She has warmed to Alexa, even though it can sometimes be sassy!

Email:
[email protected]
Phone:
02073312000
Website:
www.techuk.org
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracymodha83

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techUK's Central Government Campaign Week 2025 – Social Value Week

techUK is pleased to announce our second Central Government Campaign Week, running from 22-25 April 2025.

Find all the insights here

Unlocking Government Procurement for Tech SMEs - Addressing Social Value Challenges

We're excited to share our latest report, "Navigating Social Value: Challenges Facing Tech SMEs in Government Procurement." This crucial study explores the real-world experiences of small and medium-sized tech enterprises (SMEs) as they navigate the social value requirements within public sector procurement.

Click here to download the report

Central Government Programme activities

The techUK Central Government Programme provides a forum for government to engage with tech suppliers. We advocate for the govtech sector, evangelise tech as a solution to public sector challenges, facilitate market engagement, and help make the public sector an easier market to operate in. Visit the programme page here.

 

Upcoming events

1 May 2025

Defra's data roadmap: Shaping the future of environmental missions

London Roundtable
8 May 2025

Unpacking mission-led social value

Online Webinar
14 May 2025

AI and the future of work in the public sector (a webinar sponsored by Hyperscience)

Online Webinar

Latest news and insights 

President's Awards 2025 - Nominations Open!

Do you have a trailblazer in your team? Do you work with an innovator or a problem solver? Do you have an inspirational colleague who deserves the spotlight for their work? The President’s Awards are back for 2025 and open for nominations. All techUK members are encouraged to nominate one colleague.

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Meet the team 

Heather Cover-Kus

Heather Cover-Kus

Head of Central Government Programme, techUK

Ellie Huckle

Ellie Huckle

Programme Manager, Central Government, techUK

Charles Bauman

Charles Bauman

Junior Programme Manager - Central Government, techUK

Tracy Modha

Tracy Modha

Programme Marketing Assistant for Public Sector Markets, techUK

 

 

 

Related topics

Social Value
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