Day One
Wednesday 2nd December (Online)
07:00 - 08:00
Updates from Down Under
Social Value is not a peculiar UK phenomenon - it is gaining group world wide and especially in Australia and New Zealand - a Common Imperative for all. Join this session to hear perspectives from our colleagues in Australia and New Zealand and the specific cultural challenges and opportunities they are tackling.
Speakers:
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Tara Anderson - Social Traders
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Chair: Anna McChesney Gordon - Social Value Portal
09:10 - 09:30
Main Stage - Welcome
09:30 - 10:30
Opening Keynote Panel Discussion
Building Flourishing Communities & Places - In All Postcodes
Communities across the UK are struggling; young people struggling to find work, homelessness on the rise, refugees trying to integrate and climate change impacting us all. Resilience is the new mantra and growth in every postcode. What does this actually mean and how can we work together across all sector, procurement & planning to have a real and lasting impact and restore pride of (my) place.
Speakers:
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Ed Vainker - Reach Schools
- Darren Rodwell - Author "Building Communities", Ex Leader Barking & Dagenham
10:30 - 11:00
Break & Networking
11:00 - 11:55
Think Global, Deliver Local: Making Group Strategy Work on the Ground
Celebrating the best in social value through the 2025 Social Value Awards.
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Shani Wilson – ISS USA
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Margot Slattery - ISS
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Renuka Bhat - Social Value Portal
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Jess Moore - Admiral
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Chair: Gabriela Palma Ho – Social Value Portal
Understanding Place Based Social Value
A practical guide on how to build and promote place based social value, including real-time examples of what a place approach entails and how to get cross-sector collaboration.
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Richard Carroll – Durham County Council
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Chris Clarke - Ashfield District Council
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Caroline Wilson – Islington Council
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Olivia Hughes - Liverpool City Council
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Chair: Sol Tannir – SVP
What Does Purpose Led Collaboration Look Like?
Too often, Social Value is seen as transitional delivered contract by contract, business by business afraid of sharing their secret sauce with their competitors. What if our buyers made collaboration a condition of engagement and how might contracts be written to allow this.
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Priya Bahara - Accenture
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Chair: Anthony Lengden - Mitie
Social Value Masterclass - Local Government Councillors
Aimed at new councillors or those looking to understand social value; what it is, how to embed it into procurement and governance requirements. Includes a discussion around business case and ROI.
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Kate Gräfe - Samtaler
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Michael Crook - STAR Procurement
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Katrina Browning - Baberg & Mid Suffolk
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Chair: Nicola Cooke - Star Procurement
12:00 - 13:00
Lunch Break & Networking
13:00 - 13:55
Why Is S106 failing communities and how do we unlock the £9bn of unspent funds?
Councils across the UK are sitting on £9BN in unspent Section 106 contributions while developers are calling for less red tape. The panel will look at how councils can embed social value into the planning system and examine changes to S106 to make it fit for purpose.
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Phoebe Mangoma-Dennis – Social Value Portal
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Mark Shearer – Action Funder
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Duncan Field - Town Legal
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Joanna Dahlgren - Waltham Forest Council
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Chair: Michelle McSorley - McSorley Impact Consultants
Building Credible Governance & Reporting Frameworks for Social Value in Public Sector Contracts
This session will look at the latest requirements laid out within PPN 026 looking at the KPI regime and more detailed requirements around reporting and transparency. What do these look like and what are the implications including concerns over debarment
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Emma Thornton - Capita Pension Solutions
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Julie Castrillon - Sodexo
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Chair: Darren Knowd - DRK Consulting
Will AI Kill Social Value – or Is It an Opportunity to Unlock More Value?
A forward-looking session examining the risks and opportunities that AI presents for the social value sector – from measurement and reporting to delivery and accountability.
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Campbell McDonald, CEO, Storyboard Consulting
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Johnnie Ball - CEWO Axiiom
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Jane Lynch - Cardiff Business School
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Chair: Nathan Goode - Social Value Portal
Social Value Masterclass - How to engage the VCFSE Sector
Aimed at VCFSEs and all potential buyers. How do VCFSEs compete and what can buyers do to ensure the sector can better support our communities.
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Tara Spence, CEO Homestart Suffolk
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Anthony Lengden - Mitie
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Beata Przebinda - Family Action
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Shah Begum - WMCA
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Chair: Katrina Browning - Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils
14:00 - 15:00
Break & Networking
15:30 - 16:25
2025 Social Value Awards Pt. 1
Celebrating the best in social value through the 2025 Social Value Awards.
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Faye Rouse - Severn Trent
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Bob Edwards - GXO
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Sasha Simmonds - Wates
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Chair: Andrea Holt - Balfour Beatty
Delivering Social Value Across Large-Scale & Long-Term Contracts
A practical, behind-the-scenes session exploring what it really takes to deliver large-scale, long-term social value commitments in complex public sector contracts. Covers practical challenges, governance, stakeholder engagement and cultural change required to move from commitment to action.
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Stewart Holdsworth - Catch 22
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Angela Beanlands - E.ON
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Theresa Roberts - Avanti West Coast
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Sarah Ottoway - Suez
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Chair: Nin Khoshoba - WSP
Social Value Masterclass - Procurement Best Practice in Local Government
This is a practical session aimed at procurement professionals in local government who use the TOM System and want to understand how to prepare a tender, manage evaluations and also design an ITT.
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Debbie Howe - Durham County Council
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Shahla Mack - Social Value Portal
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Chair: Adam Sargent - LB Waltham Forest
Social Value Masterclass - Central Government Buyers
Aimed at central government buyers wanting to learn the key principles of putting social value into government contracts. Covers how to best use the latest Social Value Model (PPN026), getting the most out of suppliers, building relevant KPIs, and overcoming common pitfalls.
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Anand Pajpani, - Varone (procurement advisor to MOD)
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Laura Savage - People Plus
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Julie Castrillon - Sodexo
16:00 - :00
Break & Networking
16:25 - 17:20
2025 Social Value Awards Pt. 2
Celebrating the best in social value through the 2025 Social Value Awards.
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Christy Acton - Standing Tall
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Nic Brown - L&Q Major Works Investment Programme
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Angela Hughes - Speedy Hire
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Chair: Fozia Parveen - Overbury
Why Frameworks Don't Have to Be a Barrier to Social Value Being Delivered
Looks at the specific challenges faced by public organisations embedding social value into frameworks. Covers options for framework providers, buyers and suppliers, with practical 'how-to' guidance.
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Cheryl Whiteley - Constellia
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Steven Sinclair - NEPO
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Andrea Smith - YPO
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Chair: Darren Knowd - DRK Consulting
Real Estate investments must do more than provide good rental returns
Real Estate should do so much more than provide a good rate of return. This session will look at how we can be more purposeful in designing and operating buildings to help our communities flourish and grow.
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Garrick Lao - NanFung Group
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Laura Chapman, Senior Pensions Secretary
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Tessa Alcorn - Social Value Portal
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Chair: Rachel Wooliscroft - Baynel Consulting
Social Value Masterclass - SMEs and Bid Teams
Specifically aimed at the SME community but also any bid team looking at how to win more work with the Public Sector. Will cover the Social Value Model and the TOM System.
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Sarah Stone - Samtaler
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Simon Alsbury - Energise
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Chair: Arnab Dutt - FSB
Day Two
Thursday 3rd December (Online and In-person)
08:00 - 09:00
Reception Open / Registration
09:00 - 09:15
Main Stage - Welcome
Guy Battle - Social Value Portal
Angela Halliday - Sodexo
09:15 - 09:30
The Year in Review
State of the Nation Report
Anna McChesney Gordon - Social Value Portal
09:30 - 10:40
Opening Keynote Address and Panel Discussion from the Leader of Liverpool City Council
Keynote:
Cllr Liam Robinson - Leader, Liverpool City Council & Social Value Lead
Panel:
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Cllr Liam Robinson – Leader, Liverpool City Council & Cabinet Member for Innovation
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Professor Stuart Sommerville - Executive Director for Corporate Services, WMCA
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Claire Dove OBE - VCSE Lead, Cabinet Office
10:40 - 10:55
Inspiring Story
Gaza Sky Geeks
Gaza Sky Geeks (GSG) is a program of Mercy Corps, founded in 2011, that equips young Palestinian talent and tech companies with world-class tech skills and international connections to help them thrive in the global tech sector. Through training, startup support, and job-placement programs, GSG connects Palestinian developers, designers, and entrepreneurs with international clients and employers, with a strong focus on gender inclusion, as roughly half of participants are women. GSG's work highlights how remote tech work lets Palestinians earn income and build careers despite physical restrictions on movement.
10:55 - 11:25
Intermission and Break
11:30 - 12:25
PPN026: From Policy to Implementation – Embedding Social Value into Public Sector Procurement
Examines the impact of PPN026 and how to move social value from policy into practice across government procurement.
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Sam Rowbury – Cabinet Office
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Zara Carter - GCA
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Peter Smith- Procurement Specialist
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Emily Davies - AMEY
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Chair: Arnab Dutt - Divine Ox
Purpose Led Business - Making an Impact
As we move towards building a Social Value Economy, what role does business have and must we insist that all organisations are ‘purpose led’ beyond profit . But what does this mean and is it even practical? And how do we ensure that this an inclusive rather than an exclusive club – surely all businesses can (& should) do some good, even when keeping their shareholders happy!
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Claire Atkins Morris – Sodexo
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Victoria Hurth - ISO37011 Purpose Drioven Organisations,
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Chair: Leyoh Goodall, Executive, Social Value Portal
Making the Most of Devolution to Drive the Social Value Agenda Forward
Devolution, the politics of place and talk about giving more powers to local government. What does this mean in reality and how can councils and combined authorities make the most of it to drive more value.
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Sam Pickles - GMCA
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Liam Ronan-Chlond - SYCA
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Shah Begum - WMCA
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Chair: Amy Hazlehurst - Social Value Portal
Workshop - Devolution, Transportation and Place - The Ideal Vehicle to Promote Growth in Every Postcode
The promise of devolution brings an amazing opportunity to generate Social Value in every post code - buses, trains, planes and automobiles (electric of course!). What lessons can we learn from rail operators already on the journey and what is the art of the possible?
- Sol Tannir - Social Value Portal
- Jools Townsend - Institute for Social Value
12:35 - 13:00
Debate: To Value or Not to Value
Hosted by Debate Mate
Two teams debate whether it is nobler to proxy social value or whether doing so destroys the very essence of impact. An engaging, thought-provoking format to challenge assumptions.
13:00 - 13:55
Lunch & Networking
14:00 - 14:55
From theory to impact
The panel will discuss the challenges faced by the public sector in translating great policy into practical steps of delivery and impact. The panel will look at commissioning, procurement contract management and Planning.
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Jade Tonge - Manchester City Council
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Nic Brown - L&Q Housing
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Chair: Michelle McSorley - McSorley Impact Consultants
Translating Strategy into Operational Delivery
Looks at the practical steps an organisation must take to translate social value strategy into implementation – covering challenges, how to overcome them, and an honest conversation about the resourcing gap in social value delivery.
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Alisa Watt - Vodafone
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Karen Young - Hays Recruitment
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Helen Longfils - Mitie
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Sarwar Khan - BT
Time for the Retail Sector to join the Social Value Revolution?
Social Value seems to have bypassed the retail & hospitality sectors, or has it? This session will address the massive opportunity that the retail and hospitality have to offer in building a Social Value Economy - front line jobs and in how our goods and food are manufactured.
- Steve Butterworth - Neighbourly
- Richard Tyrie - Good People
Workshop - So, what Are Your Challenges?
An open, facilitated discussion session for delegates to share and explore their current social value challenges and opportunities. Round table format, individual topics. Key issues to be discussed include - Community Engagement, One Million NEETs & Ex-offenders, Climate change, benchmarking.
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Jacob Hill - Offploy CIC: How to engage ex-offenders
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Stewart Holdsworth - Catch 22: NEETs
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Discussion facilitated by Jools Townsend - Institute for Social Value
15:00 - 15:30
Intermission & Break
15:30 - 16:45
Hackathon - From Value to Impact: How do we deliver jobs and skills in every postcode?
An interactive hackathon session inviting delegates to tackle the core question: how do we translate social value commitments into real-world impact? Followed by the afternoon main stage session.
16:45 - 17:00
Wrap up & reflections of the Social Value Conference 2026
Social Value Awards 2026
Thursday 3rd December (Liverpool)
18:30 - 19:00
Guest arrival, registration & drinks
19:15 - 22:00
The Social Value Awards 2026 Dinner & Ceremony
22:00 - 02:00
The Social Value Awards 2026 after-party & networking
