The gold standard – raising the bar for tech companies contributing social value
Guest blog by Richard Davies, Country Managing Partner at Netcompany #techUKSocialValueWeek
Richard Davies
Country Managing Partner, Netcompany
Social value has become a defining metric for how organisations are judged—not just by government but also by investors, employees, and the public. In fact, 89% of executives1 now believe a strong sense of purpose provides a competitive advantage, while 70% of workers say they wouldn’t join a company lacking a clear purpose.
The UK government has long recognised the importance of social value. For several years, public sector contracts have required bidders to demonstrate how they’ll benefit society by providing jobs, reducing inequality, impacting climate change, and improving well-being. At least 10% of the scoring in public sector tenders is weighted to social value, and over £300bn is spent annually on such contracts.
The new opportunity
The UK’s social value framework has recently been updated, and the original five themes – including pandemic recovery – have now become ‘missions’, focusing on economic growth, clean energy, social cohesion, inequality and the NHS. These are now mandatory benchmarks for all public tenders, requiring every bid to demonstrate measurable impact with one or more. The government’s approach is designed to ensure that public spending delivers real benefits for communities and the environment and that businesses are held to a high standard when reporting their contributions to society.
This update is more than a technical tweak. It is ushering in a new era of accountability and ambition. For the UK’s technology sector, these changes present both a challenge and an opportunity. The new framework should be seen as a powerful incentive to invest in the country’s future – by driving innovation, supporting inclusive growth and building a more sustainable economy. Tech businesses are uniquely positioned to lead the way, using their expertise to address complex social challenges and deliver lasting value for communities.
Inspiring the next generation
At Netcompany, responsible digitalisation and a commitment to a sustainable future are at the heart of the organisation’s mission. Our five-year commitment to the Ahead Partnership is just one example of this. The purpose-driven social enterprise seeks to inspire young people – particularly those from underrepresented communities – to pursue careers in tech. We sponsor its Growing Talent Digital Leeds programme, which educates students aged 11 to 18 on digital skills, IT awareness and career opportunities. As part of this, Netcompany employees take part in workshops and keynotes in schools across Leeds and Yorkshire.
The flagship of the programme is Girl Tech – an annual event focused on encouraging girls to consider careers in technology. It invites students from six schools to participate in workshops, coding sessions and panel discussions with professionals from local tech businesses, including Netcompany. The event was set up to address gender disparities in the sector, where only 29% of the workforce are women3, with many reporting experiences of negative bias.
Netcompany has supported the programme as part of our work with HMRC for the last three years, and the results have been immensely rewarding. A 2024 survey showed that 94% of attendees gained a clear understanding of digital sector skills, and 9/10 expressed an interest in pursuing a digital career. In 2025, Netcompany is expanding its commitment by rolling out Girl Tech events to four additional cities – Newcastle, Birmingham, London and Manchester – and I can’t wait to see the results.
People and impact
The general desire of individuals at Netcompany to make a positive impact makes me incredibly proud. Our company culture has been greatly enhanced by our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), which develop events and activities to support their members and share awareness and insights across the business. These groups – spanning Multicultural, Neurodiverse, Women, LGBTQ+ and Veterans – have inspired major improvements in how Netcompany operates and behaves.
Elsewhere, Netcompany volunteers run free advanced Microsoft programmes for Tech Vets to help people leaving the services find work in the technology sector. We also cover exam costs for wider forces communities, such as wives and partners, and offer them free IT training. These initiatives have no doubt contributed to our recent Armed Forces Covenant Gold accreditation. Netcompany was also the first UK tech business to achieve the Social Value Quality Mark® Gold accreditation in 2023.
Looking ahead, we’re expanding our support of Rebel Business School, which empowers individuals to start and grow businesses with practical, free workshops focusing on accessible, no-cost startup strategies. The sponsorship will enable more than 50 women from underrepresented communities in London and Glasgow to attend the course. Collaborating with the University of Westminster, we’re adding a Netcompany-led day to the existing five-day course.
The road ahead
The updated social value framework is a pivotal moment for the UK’s tech sector, and my colleagues and I are energised by the challenge and committed to raising the bar in our own social value efforts. We also look forward to seeing other technology organisations step up to deliver meaningful, measurable impact for the UK’s society and economy.
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.
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.
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.
Calling Children’s Services and Education: Are you ready for the Digital Switchover?
Join techUK for a free webinar to learn more about the program and what it might mean for schools, universities and children’s services in both the private sector and those maintained by local authorities.
Join techUK for a timely webinar unpacking the recent changes to the UK Government’s Social Value Model and the introduction of a mission-led approach to public procurement.
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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.
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!
Junior Programme Manager - Central Government, techUK
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.
Programme Marketing Assistant for Public Sector Markets, techUK
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!
