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Bid pack

Templates, KPIs and deliverables for the PPN 026 social value response.

Adaptable wording for the Good Jobs and Skills pillars, the KPIs those commitments become once the contract is signed, and the evidence to have ready at each stage.

Under PPN 026 a social value answer is a contractual offer. What you write becomes a KPI the authority can measure and enforce, so every template here is built the same way: a commitment with a number in it, the mechanism that delivers it, and the evidence that proves it.

Replace every bracketed placeholder with your own figures. Never submit a number you cannot baseline, and never commit to an activity without a named owner.

Score your readiness first Read the PPN 026 guide

Response templates

Three templates per pillar. Copy one into your response document and edit it against the authority's question wording and your own delivery model.

Good Jobs pillar

Local recruitment and access to employment

Use where the authority asks how the contract will create employment for people in the delivery area.

Commitment
Over the [contract length] term we will create [number] new roles based within [local authority area / delivery postcodes], of which [number] will be reserved for candidates facing barriers to employment (long-term unemployed, care leavers, ex-offenders, disabled applicants, veterans).

How we will deliver it
1. Within 30 days of contract award we will agree a local labour plan with [named contract manager] and the authority's employment and skills lead.
2. We will advertise every in-scope vacancy through [Jobcentre Plus / named local employment partner] for a minimum of 10 working days before wider release.
3. We will run [number] inclusive recruitment sessions per year with [named partner], using name-blind sifting and guaranteed interviews for candidates meeting the essential criteria.
4. Each new starter is assigned a workplace buddy and reviewed at 1, 3 and 6 months to support retention.

How we will evidence it
Quarterly returns to the authority reporting vacancies advertised locally, applications received, offers made, starters by postcode district and cohort, and retention at six months. Data drawn from [HR/ATS system] and reconciled against payroll.

Why this matters here
[One or two sentences linking the local labour market position — unemployment rate, target wards, sector shortage — to the authority's own economic strategy.]

Fair work, pay and conditions

Use for questions on job quality, secure hours, pay standards and progression.

Commitment
All staff delivering this contract, including subcontracted staff, will be paid at or above the real Living Wage as set annually by the Living Wage Foundation, on contracts with guaranteed minimum hours. No zero-hours contracts will be used in delivery.

How we will deliver it
1. Pay rates for every contract role are set at or above the applicable real Living Wage and uplifted within [number] months of each annual announcement.
2. Subcontractors are bound by the same standard through a flow-down clause in our purchase terms, checked at onboarding and annually thereafter.
3. Every employee has a documented progression route with a funded development budget of £[amount] per year.
4. We recognise [trade union / staff forum] and hold [frequency] consultation meetings on workload, safety and terms.

How we will evidence it
Annual pay audit summary (lowest contract rate, median rate, gender pay position), signed subcontractor declarations, and anonymised progression data showing internal promotions and pay-band moves.

Why this matters here
[Link to the authority's fair work or good employment charter commitments, naming the charter where one exists.]

Local supply chain and SME spend

Use where the question covers spend retained in the local economy or opportunities for SMEs and VCSEs.

Commitment
We will direct at least [percentage]% of contract-related third-party spend to SMEs, VCSEs and social enterprises based within [defined geography], equating to approximately £[amount] over the term.

How we will deliver it
1. We will publish a forward pipeline of subcontract and supply opportunities at contract mobilisation and refresh it every six months.
2. We will host [number] "meet the buyer" events per year with [named growth hub / chamber of commerce], including bid-writing support for first-time suppliers.
3. Tender documents for subcontracts will be proportionate: no requirement for turnover above two times the contract value and no insurance level above the risk profile.
4. We pay all suppliers within [number] days, reported through our Payment Practices return.

How we will evidence it
Quarterly spend analysis by supplier size, sector and postcode, plus a register of opportunities advertised, bids received from local suppliers and contracts awarded.

Why this matters here
[Reference the authority's local spend target or economic strategy and the sectors it is trying to grow.]

Skills pillar

Training, upskilling and qualifications

Use for questions on workforce development and accredited learning delivered through the contract.

Commitment
We will deliver [number] accredited training outcomes over the contract term, comprising [number] Level 2/3 qualifications, [number] sector-specific certifications and [number] digital skills completions.

How we will deliver it
1. A training needs analysis is completed for every contract role within the first 60 days and refreshed annually.
2. Learning is delivered with [named college / training provider] using an agreed annual calendar, protecting time for study within contracted hours.
3. We fund the full cost of accreditation, including exam fees and resit fees where the learner has attended.
4. Progress is reviewed at line-manager one-to-ones and reported to the contract board each quarter.

How we will evidence it
Learner registers, certificates or awarding body confirmations, hours of training delivered per head, and completion rates broken down by role level and demographic group.

Why this matters here
[Name the skills gap in the authority's Local Skills Improvement Plan that this addresses.]

Apprenticeships, placements and work experience

Use for questions on entry routes, apprenticeship starts and experience of work.

Commitment
We will create [number] apprenticeship starts and [number] structured work placements attributable to this contract, with at least [number] going to residents of [defined geography].

How we will deliver it
1. Apprenticeship vacancies are planned against the delivery schedule so each start has real work and a named mentor from day one.
2. We partner with [named schools / college / SEND provider] to run [number] insight days, mock interviews and site visits per year.
3. Placements are paid at [rate] and last a minimum of [duration], with a written learning plan and an end-of-placement reference.
4. Where we cannot use levy funds directly, we will transfer up to [percentage]% of our levy to local SMEs in the supply chain.

How we will evidence it
Apprenticeship service records, start and completion data, placement learning plans, destination tracking at six months, and school engagement logs signed by the partner institution.

Why this matters here
[Reference local youth unemployment or NEET figures and the authority's target cohorts.]

Enterprise and entrepreneurship support

Use where the question invites wider community skills activity beyond your own workforce — this is where the 1001 Entrepreneurs Programme fits.

Commitment
We will fund [number] fully supported enterprise training places for underserved founders in [defined geography] through the 1001 Entrepreneurs Programme, at a committed investment of £[amount] over the contract term.

How we will deliver it
1. Each funded place covers structured business training, mentoring, practical start-up support and follow-up outcome tracking.
2. Recruitment to the programme prioritises founders from under-represented groups and from the wards identified in the authority's inclusive growth priorities.
3. Our employees contribute [number] mentoring hours per year, released within working time.
4. Delivery is managed with Best CSR, who provide cohort reporting aligned to the contract reporting cycle.

How we will evidence it
Cohort registers, attendance and completion data, businesses started or sustained at 6 and 12 months, mentoring hours logged, and a proxy social value figure calculated using the published National TOMs values.

Why this matters here
[Link business start-up rates or self-employment barriers in the area to the authority's growth ambitions.]

KPIs your commitments become

Agree the measure, the frequency and the evidence source before award. Disputes almost always come from a KPI that was never defined precisely enough to report.

Pillar	KPI	How it is measured	Frequency	Evidence source
Good Jobs	Local jobs created	Headcount of new contract roles with a home postcode in the defined geography	Quarterly	Payroll extract and postcode district report
Good Jobs	Roles filled from priority cohorts	Percentage of new starters from agreed barrier-to-employment groups	Quarterly	Anonymised recruitment monitoring data
Good Jobs	Real Living Wage compliance	Percentage of contract staff, including subcontractors, paid at or above the rate	Annually	Pay audit summary and signed supplier declarations
Good Jobs	Six-month retention	Percentage of contract starters still employed at six months	Half-yearly	HR system report
Good Jobs	Local and SME spend	Percentage and value of third-party spend with in-area SMEs and VCSEs	Quarterly	Finance spend analysis by supplier and postcode
Skills	Accredited training outcomes	Number of qualifications and certifications completed	Quarterly	Awarding body confirmations and learner registers
Skills	Apprenticeship starts	Number of new apprentices attributable to the contract	Quarterly	Apprenticeship service records
Skills	Work placements and insight days	Number of placements completed and school or college sessions delivered	Half-yearly	Learning plans and partner-signed engagement log
Skills	Funded enterprise places	Number of 1001 Entrepreneurs places funded and completed	Half-yearly	Cohort report from Best CSR
Skills	Employee volunteering hours	Mentoring and volunteering hours released within working time	Quarterly	Timesheet or volunteering log extract

Deliverables checklist

At bid stage

Pillar-by-pillar response using the templates below, with every number sourced and owned
Named social value lead with contract authority, not a marketing contact
Baseline position for each proposed KPI so the panel can see the uplift
Delivery partner letters of intent for training, recruitment and enterprise activity
Proxy value calculation with the methodology stated (National TOMs or equivalent)

At mobilisation (first 90 days)

Social value delivery plan signed off with the authority's contract manager
KPI baseline confirmed and reporting template agreed
Local labour and supply chain plan issued to subcontractors with flow-down clauses
Training calendar and apprenticeship start dates scheduled against the delivery plan
Risk register entry for each commitment, with mitigation and an owner

In delivery

Quarterly KPI return with evidence attached, not asserted
Annual pay and spend audit summary
Case studies with named beneficiaries and consent recorded
Early-warning notice where a commitment is forecast to miss, with a recovery plan
Annual review against the original bid commitments for the contract board

Need the evidence, not just the wording?

The 1001 Entrepreneurs Programme gives you a deliverable that sits squarely in the Skills pillar, with cohort reporting you can attach to a quarterly KPI return.

About the programme Estimate your social value Talk to a bid support lead