Public contract social value in Thames Valley is underpinning community-led provisions

"We can't police our way out of this"

In 2023, Thames Valley Police's procurement team (led by Richard Fowles) saw real potential in better targeting their supply contracts' social value (a return on goods and services investments) into the community-led activities already making impact by preventing youth crime and violence, but also disrupting the rise in child exploitation through county lines, gangs and trafficking. Suppliers being supported to contribute into the strategic objectives of their Police & Crime Plan, but also being supported to find and engage with trusted charities known to be making impact which (if supported over time) would make a secondary impact of reducing the resource and cost impact on policing, emergency services and NHS, and the criminal justice services. Partnering with the Pluggin Ecosystem to utilise our infrastructure and model, a pilot began to develop what is now known as the Dual Impact Collaboration Model (DICM) and a social value marketplace for all public buyers in Thames Valley to operate their contracting within - a way for many suppliers to connect-into and support charities making impact.

Helping charities think 'collaboration'

The DICM (Thames Valley) pilot was designed to not just help the tender and contracting process to harness supplier social value, but also to teach charities to engage differently with businesses wanting to contribute social value to their impact-focused provisions. As these early videos show, charities can ask for specific Monetary, Equipment or/and Voluntary contributions - which align with specific provisions and objectives. The DICM (Thames Valley) pilot then converting these contributions into Impact Collaboration Agreements which then are attached to supply contracts and (using the power of the Pluggin Ecosystem environment) be tracked and promoted over time.

Creating a context and momentum

The aim in Thames Valley, across police, fire & rescue, councils, NHS and criminal justice services is to connect procurement and the social value contracted, into the need for community safety and resilience over the long-term. In Milton Keynes, that includes youth engagement, development and employability - tapping into provisions which can be consolidated and supported to provide real pathways into a positive future. The addition in 2025 of the Employers Apprentice Levy, and the self-employment/enterprise pathways as part of social value from suppliers (especially the major tech, facilities management, utilities and media supplier brands) has transformed how charities support young people right out to careers.

As the first DICM social value marketplace area of all our 44 areas, Thames Valley is driving social value within public contracting, into the community-led provisions known to be supporting police & crime priorities...