In the summer of 2023, a police procurement collaboration began with UK social enterprise Pluggin Ecosystem, which led to the Thames Valley being the first region to develop and pilot the Dual Impact Collaboration Model (DICM) as the way to connect the business social value within public contracting, with the region's charity programme/project activities known to be building healthier, safer and more resilient communities across the region.
Richard Fowles (pictured), Head of Procurement at Thames Valley Police refers to social value as being "the additional social, economic, and environmental benefits that can be created through the way a body buys goods and services. It's about maximizing the positive impact of public spending beyond the direct purchase. This involves considering how procurement can contribute to community safety and resilience, economic prosperity, and environmental sustainability".
Jay Baughan, DICM creator and Founder of the Pluggin Ecosystem social enterprise says that "business social value is that un-tapped legal component and "can-do" business commitment found within all public contracting across a region, found within billions of pounds worth of supply contracts of our emergency services, local authorities, NHS Trusts and even our criminal justice services.
Using a geographical approach, the DICM was designed to give police the process to lead the way in a county or region for helping business suppliers to find and engage with the charity activities inside communities which are making tangible impact which can reduce the demand for and cost of public services. To then recognise these as collaborations within supply contracts which can be transparent and tracked with suppliers over time - as the Social Return on Investment (SROI) for the buyer.
The use of social value as a force behind good within Thames Valley was recognised as essential by Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Matthew Barber which he says in this this video.
The DICM is now a central component within procurement and how Thames Valley Police drives social value within its £150 million of annual contracting for business goods and services. The DICM (Thames Valley) is a police-led procurement process which is being strategically aligned with Thames Valley's council and NHS contracting; to seamlessly link hundreds of supply contracts with the development of healthier, safer and more resilient Thames Valley communities; strategically aligned to the objectives set-out within the PCC's Police and Crime Plan 2024-2025.
Since launching in the Thames Valley, the DICM has expanded to support 44 force areas of the UK, and connects into a single strategic umbrella where procurement leaders regionally assess the social value being leveraged out of the billions spent on goods and services.