Here are a few bits & pieces to help you understand what the Social Value Exchange is, does and has achieved to date…

The Social Value Exchange is a matching market that borrows ‘sharing economy’ principles from platforms like AirBnB… with the outcome that we get extra resources to local community organisations.

How do we do that?

We match up government suppliers that are trying to win government contracts with local community projects. The platform allows suppliers to offer resources – often digital devices, but also other capacity building resources  – to community projects during government contract tenders.

We use an auction to match suppliers with community projects. The supplier that makes the best and most reasonable offer of resources wins the auction, and secures extra tender points. The more resources suppliers offer, the more contracts they win. 

Using ‘sharing economy’ principles to achieve really important local community outcomes

We mentioned AirBnB. Community projects are the equivalent to the spare rooms in people’s houses – they are the supplyside in the marketplace, and government suppliers represent the demand side. So while we are commodifying community projects for the purposes of explaining the business model, the projects themselves are as unique as the different rooms you’ll stay in if you use AirBnB. 

The direction of travel of the Social Value Exchange is clear

According to independent evaluation, for every £ that has gone through the Social Value Exchange, we’ve generated a £223 return.

Here are the bits and pieces we promised

Here’s an animation that explains our view of the world.

Here are some video testimonials from the people who count – the people who work in our local community organisations, and the most important beneficiaires of the Social Value Exchange.

Here’s how to sign up to the Social Value Journal – to stay abreadth of all things Social Value (and a few things besides) and, most importantly for our community partners, how to say across the free resources coming on line.

And here’s a link that sets our approach to what we – including our partners Social Value UK and Supply Change – call Social Value Brokerage.