Question 1

What is the Social Value Engine?

Accepted Answer

The Social Value Engine (SVE) is a UK-based, Social Value International (SVI) accredited software platform for measuring Social Return on Investment (SROI). It combines structured project management, 650+ research-backed financial proxies, AI-powered guidance, and full calculation transparency to help organisations measure, report, and prove their social value.

Question 2

Who is the Social Value Engine for?

Accepted Answer

SVE is used by local authorities, NHS trusts, housing associations, VCSE organisations, and private sector contractors. Any organisation that needs to measure the social impact of its programmes, services, or investments and produce credible, auditable evidence can benefit from the platform.

Question 3

Is the Social Value Engine accredited?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Social Value Engine is the UK's leading Social Value International (SVI) accredited SROI platform. SVI is the global body for social value measurement and maintains the Principles of Social Value, the internationally recognised standard for SROI. Our accreditation means the methodology behind every analysis meets the highest professional standards.

Question 4

Is SVE available on G-Cloud?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Social Value Engine is listed on the Crown Commercial Service G-Cloud 14 framework, meaning public sector organisations can procure it directly without a lengthy tender process.

Question 5

What is Social Return on Investment (SROI)?

Accepted Answer

SROI is a framework for measuring and accounting for the social, environmental, and economic value created by an organisation or programme. It produces a ratio (for example, £4.18:£1) that expresses how much social value is created for every pound invested. It is based on established principles developed by Social Value International and is widely recognised by funders, commissioners, and regulators.

Question 6

What is the difference between a forecast and evaluative SROI?

Accepted Answer

A forecast SROI is conducted before or at the start of a programme, using projected participant numbers and expected outcomes to estimate future social value. An evaluative SROI is conducted after a programme, using actual data collected from stakeholders. Both types are supported on the SVE platform.

Question 7

What are SROI adjustments and deflators: deadweight, attribution, displacement, leakage, and drop-off?

Accepted Answer

These are standard SROI adjustments and deflators that ensure the analysis only claims credit for outcomes that genuinely resulted from the programme. Deadweight accounts for outcomes that would have happened anyway without the intervention. Attribution adjusts for the contribution of other organisations or factors. Displacement accounts for any negative side-effects that offset positive outcomes. Leakage accounts for benefits that flow outside the intended beneficiary group. Drop-off reduces the value of outcomes that diminish over time. SVE calculates all of these automatically once you set the percentages.

Question 8

What is a financial proxy?

Accepted Answer

A financial proxy is a published monetary value that represents the worth of a social outcome. For example, the NHS cost of treating depression is used as a proxy for the value of preventing it. Our library contains 650+ proxies sourced from 100+ peer-reviewed and institutional datasets, including New Economy Manchester, NHS England, Frontier Economics, and the ONS.

Question 9

Do I need to be an SROI expert to use SVE?

Accepted Answer

No. The platform is designed for practitioners who understand their programmes and the communities they serve, not specialist evaluators. Our AI-enhanced wizard guides you through every step, the proxy library is fully searchable, and our training library covers everything from first principles to advanced sensitivity analysis.

Question 10

Can multiple people in my organisation use the platform?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Multiple user seats are available on Team (up to 3 users), Pro (unlimited users), and Enterprise packages. You can have project managers, bid writers, and community engagement leads all working in the platform.

Question 11

What reports can I produce?

Accepted Answer

The platform produces SROI reports that are publication-ready and include the full calculation trail, all proxy sources, outcome data, and SROI adjustments. Reports can be downloaded as PDFs or exported to a spreadsheet. They are designed to meet the requirements of funders, commissioners, boards, and auditors.

Question 12

Can I add my own financial proxies?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can add custom financial proxies relevant to your sector or locality, for example local authority-specific cost data or sector-specific proxy values. Custom proxies can only be added to your own account and are not shared with other users or added to the shared library.

Question 13

What is an impact card?

Accepted Answer

An impact card is a concise, shareable one-page summary of your SROI analysis. While a full SROI report contains the complete calculation trail, proxy sources, and supporting data for funders and auditors, an impact card distils your headline social value ratio, key outcomes, and beneficiary groups into a format designed for quick communication — ideal for websites, grant applications, annual reports, and stakeholder briefings. You can generate an impact card directly from any completed analysis in the platform.

Question 14

How much does SVE cost?

Accepted Answer

Pricing is split by organisation size. Small organisations (fewer than 15 staff) can choose from: Pay As You Go – £250 per report (ideal for trying the platform before committing to a licence) Starter – £1,250/year Team – £4,950/year (up to 3 users, SVE Dashboard included) Pro – £6,500/year (unlimited users, SVE Dashboard included) Medium and large organisations (15 or more staff) have access to: Starter – £2,250/year Team and Pro at the same rates as above For larger or networked organisations, Enterprise, Connect, and Network options are available on a scoped quote. Multi-year discounts are available on all annual licences — ask our team for details. All prices exclude VAT. See our pricing page for full details.

Question 15

Can public sector organisations procure SVE directly?

Accepted Answer

Yes. SVE is listed on the Crown Commercial Service G-Cloud 14 framework. Public sector organisations, including local authorities, NHS bodies, and central government, can procure it directly through the Digital Marketplace without a separate tender process.

Question 16

Is there a free trial?

Accepted Answer

We offer customised demos for all prospective customers: a guided walkthrough of the platform with one of our social value specialists, tailored to your sector and use case. Contact us to book yours.

Question 17

How does AI work in the Social Value Engine?

Accepted Answer

SVE includes an AI-enhanced wizard that analyses your project description and suggests relevant outcome categories, stakeholder groups, and financial proxies. It also includes an AI chatbot that can answer questions about SROI methodology, proxy selection, and how to interpret your results. All AI suggestions require human review before they affect your analysis.

Question 18

Is the AI reliable and accurate?

Accepted Answer

Our AI is designed to operate within the bounds of published, peer-reviewed social value methodology. It only references citable proxy sources and never generates proxy values or claims without a source.

Question 19

Does SVE use my data to train its AI?

Accepted Answer

No. Your project data, organisation information, and SROI analyses are never used to train our AI models. All data processing is GDPR-compliant and your information remains private to your account.

Question 20

Where is my data hosted?

Accepted Answer

All data is hosted within the United Kingdom on ISO 27001-certified infrastructure. We do not transfer personal or organisational data outside the UK or EEA. Our hosting provider operates UK-based data centres with physical security, redundant power, and 24/7 monitoring.

Question 21

Is the Social Value Engine GDPR compliant?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Social Value Engine is fully compliant with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. We act as a data processor on behalf of our customers, who remain the data controller for any personal data they input. A Data Processing Agreement (DPA) is available to all customers and is required as part of our enterprise and public sector contracts. We never sell, share, or use your data for any purpose beyond providing the service.

Question 22

Who can access my organisation's data?

Accepted Answer

Access to your data is strictly controlled. Within your organisation, you control which team members have access through role-based permissions. SVE staff only access customer data when required to provide technical support, and only with your explicit permission or when necessary to resolve a reported issue. All internal access is logged and auditable.

Question 23

How long is my data retained, and can I request deletion?

Accepted Answer

Your data is retained for the duration of your subscription plus a 90-day grace period after cancellation, giving you time to export your analyses and reports. You can request full deletion of your account and all associated data at any time by contacting our support team. Deletion requests are completed within 30 days in accordance with your rights under UK GDPR.

Frequently Asked Questions

About the platform

SROI methodology

Using the platform

Pricing and procurement

AI features

Data security and compliance

Still have questions? Talk to our team