Environmental and Social Value
Helping manufacturers align with the future of responsible business and procurement
Made in Britain champions the role of UK manufacturers in delivering an economy that is not only productive but also environmentally and socially responsible. Our Environmental and Social Value programme is evolving to reflect the growing expectations of buyers, government, and society, and to help Made in Britain companies demonstrate and benefit from the values they already hold and practice.
What is Environmental and Social Value?
Environmental and Social Value (ESV) refers to the positive impact a business has on people and the planet, including sustainable operations, ethical employment, skills development, community engagement, and responsible supply chains.
Made in Britain’s 2024 Environment and Society Barometer highlighted the growing importance that customers across all sectors place on these outcomes.
Further, and significantly, a positive impact on people and the planet is also increasingly recognised in UK public policy, with major implications for how businesses engage with government procurement, directly and via supply chains.
The UK government spends around £350 billion on procurement every year.
The Procurement Act 2023 came into force on 24 February 2025, reforming how public bodies buy goods and services. It aims to simplify procurement processes and create fairer, more transparent opportunities, particularly for SMEs, start-ups, and social enterprises.
The Act and accompanying regulation also places a greater emphasis on ESV.
ESV refers to the positive impact a business has on jobs, skills, communities and the environment, which Made in Britain companies contribute to day-in-day-out, invariably as ‘business as usual’, by virtue of manufacturing in the UK and complying with UK legislation and regulation.
For UK manufacturers, ESV therefore directly connects ‘doing the right thing’ with commercial value. This means that being able to evidence and communicate your environmental and social impact is increasingly important to sales and winning contracts in the UK, particularly where they are connected to public spend and services.
Made in Britain ESV Certification – Launching 2025
To support Made in Britain companies to make the most of these advances, Made in Britain is working with MAP UK & International to launch a dedicated and tailored ESV Certification.
This Certification will promote and celebrate what Made in Britain companies already deliver, rather than requiring them to do more or to work differently. There will however also be support available for companies that want to do more.
The practical, paid-for Certification will assist Made in Britain companies to:
- Positively promote your company and its impact on the environment and/or society with customers, partners, and stakeholders
- Bid more competitively for contracts in the UK, particularly where they are connected to public spend and services, whether directly or as part of their supply chains.
Further details on how to take part will be shared with Made in Britain companies in the coming weeks.
What’s next
We’ll be sharing more information soon about how to gain the ESV Certification and engage with the accompanying programme of Made in Britain activity. In the meantime, keep an eye on the ESV News section on our website to see how other Made in Britain companies are leading the way.
If you’d like to register early interest or ask a question, get in touch at trade@madeinbritain.com.