Question 1

What is the difference between the platform and Assurance?

Accepted Answer

The Social Value Engine platform is a self-serve tool you use to measure and report your own social value, structuring outcomes, applying proxies and producing SROI reports yourself. Assurance adds an accredited practitioner who independently reviews and signs off your methodology, proxy selection and final report. You can use the platform on its own, and add assurance when an external party needs independent confidence in the figures.

Question 2

Who needs independently assured social value figures?

Accepted Answer

Independent assurance is for organisations whose figures will face external scrutiny. That typically means charities reporting to funders or in a Trustees' Annual Report, organisations meeting a grant condition, and public bodies or suppliers demonstrating value for money. Housing associations and economic development bodies use it in the same way. If a regulator, funder or board wants more than self-reported numbers, an assured report gives them an independent, accredited sign-off they can rely on.

Question 3

How much does social value assurance cost?

Accepted Answer

Assurance starts from £750 (ex VAT) for a single assured report, which suits year-end reporting or a single grant condition. Assurance across up to five projects is £3,500 (ex VAT). Larger programmes are scoped and priced on request. Assurance is added to your platform licence, so you only pay for it when you need independent sign-off.

Question 4

What does an accredited practitioner sign off?

Accepted Answer

An accredited practitioner signs off the three parts of an analysis that carry the most weight: the methodology, confirming your theory of change and approach hold up to scrutiny; the proxy selection, making sure the financial values applied are appropriate and defensible; and the final report, so you can put the result in front of a regulator, funder or trustee with confidence.

Question 5

What is SROI, and how is it assured?

Accepted Answer

Social Return on Investment (SROI) translates social, environmental and economic outcomes into a monetary value, so an SROI ratio of 4:1 means £4 of social value for every £1 invested. The Social Value Engine produces SROI analysis using a library of over 650 UK financial proxies. Assurance verifies that analysis: an accredited practitioner checks the proxies chosen and the methodology applied, so the resulting ratio is defensible.

Question 6

Is the Social Value Engine accredited?

Accepted Answer

The Social Value Engine is accredited by Social Value International, the global body for social value and SROI standards. Assurance work is delivered by associates in the Social Value Direct network, who apply Social Value International principles, so an assured report reflects a nationally recognised standard rather than a self-defined one.

Question 7

Who delivers the assurance work?

Accepted Answer

Assurance is delivered through Social Value Direct, the regional associate network of the Social Value Engine. Associates are independent, accredited practitioners based across the UK who bring local knowledge alongside the SVE methodology standard. The network is growing toward national coverage, with delivery provided by independent associate practitioners and supported by SVE's co-owner, Rose Regeneration.

	The platform	Assurance
What it is	The self-serve platform where you structure outcomes, apply proxies and produce SROI reports yourself.	An accredited practitioner who reviews and signs off your methodology, proxy selection and final report.
What it is for	Measuring and reporting your own social value with rigour, in your own time.	Giving a funder, regulator or board independent confidence in the figures.
Who it suits	Organisations with the in-house capability to run their own measurement.	Anyone facing external scrutiny: year-end reporting, a grant condition, a Trustees' Annual Report.
What you get	Platform access, the proxy library, SROI calculations and audit-ready reports.	Everything in the platform, plus practitioner sign-off and an assured report.
Price	Annual platform licence (see pricing).	From £750 (ex VAT) for one assured report, added to your platform licence.

Stand behind your figures with independent, accredited assurance

When self-reported numbers are not enough

What an accredited practitioner does

Methodology sign-off

Proxy selection review

Final report assurance

Which level do you need?

Pricing

SVE Assured

Independent sign-off

Delivered through Social Value Direct

Frequently asked questions

Not sure which level you need?