The University of Manchester has become the first higher education institution in the UK to adopt the Social Value Portal.

This will help the University maximise its ‘social value’ by helping to organise its spending practices and procurement processes in a more sustainable and creative way.

The Social Value Portal is the UK’s leading online tool that helps organisations prioritise and measure their social value when they procure – or pay for – major services. These services can include local job opportunities, environmental outcomes and community wellbeing, particularly in areas such as construction.

The Social Value Portal is already used widely across the public sector including at the Local Government Association and the NHS.

Dr Julian Skyrme, Director of Social Responsibility, said: “We are the first university to achieve Level 5 in the Government’s Flexible Framework for socially responsible procurement. We’ve also created more than 200 local jobs and a record £19.7 million of social value through our MECD campus development contract with Balfour Beatty. Becoming the first university to adopt the Social Value Portal will elevate us to the best practice in procurement and will better link the way we spend our money to our civic ambitions and the global Sustainable Development Goals”.

Guy Battle, Chief Executive of the Social Value Portal, said: “As Europe’s top ranked university for the Sustainable Development Goals, and a pioneer in university social responsibility, it’s fitting that The University of Manchester becomes our first higher education partner by adopting the Social Value Portal.

“Universities across the UK are some of the biggest economic actors in their regions but have, up-to-now, been slower than local authorities and other sectors in embedding a more robust, quantifiable approach to social value through their supply chains. With annual expenditure of nearly £400 million per year, The University of Manchester can do much to maximise their social value through their supply chain and we look forward to working with them to demonstrate what excellence in higher education procurement looks like.”

Eamon Boylan, Chief Executive of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, said: “The University of Manchester is one of the biggest spenders and employers in our city region so I’m delighted it’s becoming the first University to adopt the use of the Social Value Portal. Joining other local authorities in Greater Manchester by using this tool, they are showing their commitment to benefiting local people and businesses from their procurement plans.”