Social Value in Healthcare Procurement in Belfast and across Northern Ireland: Delivering More Than Services

Healthcare procurement has always been about delivering essential services, but in Belfast and across Northern Ireland it now carries a wider responsibility. Public bodies are increasingly focused on social value — the additional benefits suppliers can deliver for communities, the economy, and the environment. For businesses looking to win healthcare contracts, understanding and embracing social value is no longer optional; it is critical to success.

Bill Atkinson of Black Sheep Consulting is a leading social value expert who specialises in helping suppliers navigate these requirements. With years of experience guiding organisations through complex tenders, Bill ensures that businesses not only meet expectations but also stand out by making credible, measurable commitments that resonate with evaluators.

What Does Social Value Mean in Healthcare Procurement?

When it comes to healthcare procurement, social value goes beyond providing equipment, staff, or clinical services. It’s about demonstrating how contracts can contribute to broader societal goals in Belfast and across Northern Ireland.

Examples include:

• Employment and Skills: Offering apprenticeships or training opportunities for young people entering healthcare careers.

• Supporting Local Economies: Working with small suppliers in Northern Ireland, from catering firms providing hospital food to local SMEs producing medical supplies.

• Environmental Sustainability: Reducing medical waste, cutting carbon emissions in transport, or switching to greener products.

• Community Health and Well-Being: Supporting charities tackling mental health, running community health campaigns, or working with schools on preventative health education.

These commitments must be clearly tied to the contract and supported by credible delivery plans. A social value expert like Bill Atkinson ensures suppliers avoid generic promises and instead focus on initiatives that will resonate with procurement teams.

Why Social Value Matters in Healthcare Procurement

In Northern Ireland, procurement policies such as Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 01/21 make social value a mandatory scoring area. For healthcare tenders, this weighting often accounts for at least 10% of the total score, with scope to increase further. That means even the most competitively priced or technically strong bid could lose out if the social value element is weak.

Healthcare, by its very nature, is rooted in community well-being. Buyers expect suppliers to show not just how they will deliver services, but how their work will improve wider outcomes for society. In Belfast, for example, a hospital trust may prioritise reducing health inequalities, supporting local employment, or cutting carbon from supply chains.

This is why working with a specialist like Bill Atkinson is so important. As a social value consultant, he understands how to align business strengths with buyer expectations, ensuring commitments are both credible and highly relevant.

Common Pitfalls in Social Value Responses

Many suppliers lose marks on the social value section of healthcare tenders because they fall into avoidable traps. These include:

• Vague Statements: Promising to “support the community” without detail.

• Irrelevant Commitments: Offering initiatives unrelated to healthcare or the contract scope.

• Overpromising: Setting unrealistic goals that cannot be delivered in practice.

• Lack of Evidence: Failing to provide metrics, past case studies, or measurable outcomes.

• Last-Minute Additions: Treating social value as a quick add-on rather than a core part of the bid.

Bill Atkinson helps businesses avoid these mistakes by guiding them through the process, identifying strengths, and designing commitments that are both achievable and impactful. His expertise ensures suppliers present responses that are detailed, relevant, and persuasive.

The Benefits of Getting Social Value Right

Scoring highly on social value does more than help win contracts. It also delivers wider benefits for businesses and communities. For example:

• Reputation: Companies that demonstrate genuine social value build trust with patients, healthcare bodies, and the public.

• Employee Engagement: Staff are proud to work for organisations that make a positive contribution beyond profit.

• Partnerships: Collaborations with charities, schools, or local suppliers open up new opportunities.

• Sustainability: Embedding social value prepares businesses for future tenders, where expectations will only grow.

Bill Atkinson positions social value not just as a tender requirement but as a long-term strategic advantage. His tailored support helps businesses embed practices that deliver benefits well beyond a single contract.

Why Businesses in Belfast & Across Northern Ireland Need a Social Value Expert for Healthcare Tenders

Healthcare procurement is complex, and expectations around social value are rising. Attempting to navigate this without expert support can leave businesses exposed to weak scores or lost bids. This is where Black Sheep Consulting comes in.

Bill Atkinson’s role as a social value expert is to:

• Break down the tender requirements so businesses understand exactly what buyers want.

• Help identify and design social value initiatives that are credible, measurable, and contract-specific.

• Support suppliers in quantifying impact, whether in terms of job creation, carbon reduction, or health outcomes.

• Present responses clearly, using the language evaluators expect.

• Embed long-term social value strategies so businesses are ready for future healthcare tenders.

By working with Bill, suppliers ensure they do not just comply with policy but excel in demonstrating how their work delivers lasting value for society.

Healthcare procurement in Belfast and across Northern Ireland is no longer about delivering services alone. It is about delivering services and contributing to wider social, economic, and environmental goals. The social value in procurement policy makes this explicit, and buyers are holding suppliers to higher standards than ever before.

Those who treat social value as a tick-box exercise will struggle. Those who embrace it — with the guidance of an experienced social value expert like Bill Atkinson — will not only win more contracts but also build stronger reputations, healthier communities, and more sustainable futures.

Bill Atkinson is here to ensure your business achieves exactly that. By combining expertise in tender writing with deep knowledge of social value, Bill helps suppliers in Belfast and across Northern Ireland deliver more than services — he helps them deliver lasting impact.

Why not pick up the phone and chat to Bill today. Click here to contact him and of course you can also follow him on LinkedIn.

Social Value in Healthcare Procurement in Belfast and across Northern Ireland: Delivering More Than Services | Blacksheep Consulting 2025