About SVE
Story & Mission
Our story so far
Valuing the Invaluable
The Social Value Engine was jointly developed and is co-owned by Rose Regeneration and East Riding of Yorkshire Council in response to the Public Services (Social Value Act 2012), which requires public bodies to think about how they can secure wider social, economic and environmental benefits.
The engine works alongside and has incorporated Social Return on Investment (SROI) methodology and the eight Social Value International principles.
Public and Third Sector organisations are at the heart of community development. Understanding the social value of projects is crucial to the continued wellbeing of society, but it can be challenging to measure and evidence it. The Social Value Engine is here to simplify that process.
Whether you're navigating the complexities of social value performance indicators or aiming to evidence your Social Return on Investment (SROI) more effectively, our platform equips you with the means to take control, measure your impact, and ultimately, create a better place for the people in your community.
2012
Social Value Act
The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 requires public bodies to consider social, economic and environmental wellbeing in commissioning.
2017
Concept developed
Rose Regeneration and East Riding of Yorkshire Council begin developing a shared platform for SROI measurement rooted in SVI methodology.
2020
Platform launches
The Social Value Engine launches publicly, giving public sector and VCSE organisations accredited access to SROI tools for the first time.
2023
SVI accredited
SVE receives Social Value International accreditation as an SVI-accredited SROI platform, independently assessed against the Principles of Social Value.
2025
AI-enhanced platform
SVE introduces AI-powered tools for proxy selection, outcome suggestion, and impact narrative writing, making rigorous SROI faster and more accessible.
2026
250+ organisations
Over 250 organisations across the housing, public, third, and private sectors now use the Social Value Engine to measure and report their social impact.
Our mission & ethos
The eight SVI principles
Our mission aligns with the 8 Social Value International principles. In embodying these principles, we aim to contribute meaningfully to community development and wellbeing by facilitating accurate, reliable, and actionable social value insights.
Involve stakeholders
Inform what gets measured and valued by involving those who experience change.
Understand what changes
Articulate how change happens and evaluate this, recognising positive and negative change.
Value the things that matter
Make decisions about allocating resources that reflect the value of outcomes to the people affected.
Only include what is material
Determine what information and evidence must be included to give a true and fair picture.
Do not over-claim
Only claim the value that activities are responsible for creating.
Be transparent
Demonstrate the basis on which the analysis may be considered accurate and honest.
Verify the result
Ensure appropriate independent assurance.
Be responsive
Put this information at the heart of your organisation, report to stakeholders and embed into decision-making.
Co-ownership
Built together, owned together
The Social Value Engine is jointly owned by its two founding organisations, ensuring the platform always serves practitioners and communities, not shareholders.
Rose Regeneration
Rose Regeneration is a specialist social and economic development consultancy with over 30 years of experience helping organisations plan, deliver and evidence their impact. They bring deep expertise in SROI methodology, SVI accreditation, and public sector evaluation.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council
East Riding of Yorkshire Council is one of the UK's largest unitary authorities and a founding co-creator of the Social Value Engine. Their practical experience commissioning and evidencing social value in public services shaped every aspect of the platform.
Our wider ecosystem
Part of the SVE family
The Social Value Engine is one of several tools and platforms in the SVE family, each designed to help organisations measure, communicate, and maximise their impact.
Get in touch with our team
Learn more about how the Social Value Engine can help your organisation measure and evidence its impact.
