Frequently Asked Questions

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Yes. Multiple user seats are available on Pro and Enterprise packages. You can have project managers, bid writers, and community engagement leads all working in the platform.

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.

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.

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.

We offer four pricing options: Pay As You Go, Starter, Pro, and Enterprise, designed for different organisation sizes and needs. VCSE organisations and smaller charities can access the platform at a price point designed for the sector. See our Pricing page for full details.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.