Designing with Purpose: AWW’s Gold Standard for Social Value and Inclusive Placemaking

What Are the Nine Audit Standards for Social Value Accreditation?

The nine audit standards used in Social Value Quality Mark (SVQM) accreditation are:

  • Plan
  • Demonstrate
  • Calculate
  • Report
  • Eco System
  • Performance Manage
  • Trust
  • Influence and Leadership
  • Culture

These 9 Social Value Standards underpin SVQM accreditations, grouping evidence in a structured way. The first five apply to all accreditations. At Gold level, the categories of Performance Manage and Trust are also assessed. At Platinum, all 9 standards apply. Each category carries a set of questions and provides a thematic framework through which the above aspects  are evaluated.

This guide outlines how each audit standard functions within the SVQM assessment framework and describes the types of evidence reviewed by auditors at Silver, Gold and Platinum levels.

Why the Audit Standards Matter

The SVQM audit Standards guide decision-making, telling organisations what the auditor is ultimately looking to see within a successful application. 

These Standards are essential to SVQM’s ability to verify social value through structured, independent evaluation. They provide a consistent lens for assessing alignment with procurement expectations, ESG reporting frameworks, and ethical business certification.

Preparing for Silver, Gold or Platinum? The Audit Readiness Guide outlines the evidentiary thresholds and stakeholder considerations expected at these levels.

The Nine Audit Categories Explained

The following sections summarise each audit standard category, outlining SVQM’s assessment focus, examples of appropriate evidence, and how expectations progress at the silver, gold, and platinum levels.

Audit Focus: Planning

Social value planning is aligned to business goals with the right processes, skills, and infrastructure in place.

SVQM evaluates:

  • The existence of a documented social value strategy aligned to organisational values
  • Governance arrangements, including board-level oversight and designated leadership
  • Defined social value indicators and how they relate to pledges and commitments
  • Stakeholder mapping and engagement frameworks
  • Internal communication, training and upskilling

Typical evidence includes:

  • Strategy documents, governance frameworks, and oversight mechanisms
  • Stakeholder maps and engagement plans
  • Internal training logs and communications plans

Weighting:

  • Silver: 15%
  • Gold: 10% 
  • Platinum: 15% 

Audit Focus: Demonstration of Social Value

Strategies and activities are delivered with clear, positive, measurable outcomes. They are managed for continuous improvement. 

SVQM evaluates:

  • Stakeholder engagement and feedback mechanisms
  • Documented progress against social value pledges
  • Initiatives focused on health and wellbeing, local employment, environmental programmes, and supply chain improvements are all implemented with an emphasis on achieving specific outcomes.
  • Sign up to schemes such as Real Living Wage, Disability Confident, Mental Health at Work

Typical evidence includes:

  • Delivery logs, case studies, stakeholder testimonials
  • Outcome-based reports, staff and community feedback
  • Implementation reviews and internal evaluations

Weighting:

  • Silver: 33% 
  • Gold: 25% 
  • Platinum: 20% 

Audit Focus: Calculation of Value

Both financial and non-financial value is reported transparently, using recognised social value indicators. Positive and negative values are reported.

SVQM evaluates:

  • Methodologies used for value attribution (e.g. MeasureUp, TOMs, SROI, Loop, Thrive)
  • Balance of quantitative and qualitative evidence
  • Use of financial proxies where appropriate
  • Attribution clarity and avoidance of double counting
  • Geographic and demographic breakdowns

Typical evidence includes:

  • Valuation reports, economic impact data, TOMs or SROI models
  • Methodological statements, assumptions and proxy justifications
  • Calculations showing distribution of value across communities

Weighting:

  • Silver: 33% 
  • Gold: 20% 
  • Platinum: 27.5% 

Want a step-by-step guide to building your measurement framework? Read How to Calculate Social Value to explore key principles, indicators, and audit-ready methodologies.

Audit Focus: Reporting 

Social value is reported transparently, fairly, and consistently, including both positive and negative outcomes. Trust levels are reported. 

SVQM evaluates:

  • Timeliness, accessibility, and format of reporting
  • Clarity and balance of narrative (positive and negative outcomes)
  • References to social value indicators and data sources
  • Use of reporting to inform strategy and operational review

Typical evidence includes:

  • Published impact reports and board papers
  • KVI dashboards, internal review documents, stakeholder updates
  • References to benchmarks or recognised frameworks
  • Impact statements and third-party reviews

Weighting:

  • Silver: 12% 
  • Gold: 10% 
  • Platinum: 10% 

Audit Focus: Ecosystem Engagement

Stakeholders, suppliers, and partners are engaged meaningfully and ethically, with clear evidence of impact.

SVQM evaluates:

  • Stakeholder relationships and co-delivery
  • Ethical procurement and partner engagement
  • Evidence of change experienced across the ecosystem
  • Alignment to social value charters or supply chain standards

Typical evidence includes:

  • Supplier agreements, partnership statements, feedback from delivery partners
  • Local procurement data, community outcomes, collaborative initiatives
  • Communications strategies and ecosystem consultation reports

Weighting:

  • Silver: 7% 
  • Gold: 7% 
  • Platinum: 10% 

Audit Focus: Performance Management

Social value insights drive strategic decisions and continuous improvement. All departments are actively engaged. 

SVQM evaluates:

  • Performance review cycles and strategic adaptation
  • Board-level oversight and integration into KPIs
  • Documentation of learning and forward planning
  • Use of insights from stakeholder data and impact reports

Typical evidence includes:

  • Board minutes, performance dashboards, KPI tracking
  • Strategic plans that incorporate feedback and outcome data
  • Records of governance action or course correction

Weighting:

  • Gold: 20% 
  • Platinum: 9% 

Audit Focus: Trust

Fairness, inclusion, and ethical decision-making are embedded across your organisation.

SVQM evaluates:

  • Transparent and ethical governance practices
  • Inclusive workforce policies and fair pay standards
  • Evidence of stakeholder confidence and integrity

Typical evidence includes:

  • Diversity and pay-gap reports
  • Equality and ethics policies
  • Independent surveys or third-party reviews

Weighting:

  • Gold: 8% 
  • Platinum: 8%

Audit Focus: Influence & Leadership

The organisation uses its influence to drive positive change, internally and externally.

SVQM evaluates:

  • Leadership commitment to social value in strategy and decisions
  • Advocacy within sector or community networks
  • Evidence of collaboration and external influence

Typical evidence includes:

  • Board statements or leadership communications
  • Participation in social value partnerships or forums
  • Mentoring or knowledge-sharing activities

Weighting:

  • Platinum: 18%

Audit Focus: Culture

Employees at all levels are actively involved in creating social value.

SVQM evaluates:

  • Staff awareness and engagement in social value delivery
  • Collaboration across teams and departments
  • Evidence of shared ownership and accountability

Typical evidence includes:

  • Staff surveys or engagement data
  • Internal training and communication materials
  • Cross-functional initiatives or recognition programmes

Weighting:

  • Platinum: 8%

If you’re preparing your documentation, read Social Value Audit Evidence for practical examples of how to collect, structure, and present your data for assessment.

What are the main differences between the levels?

There are four levels to SVQM accreditation: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. 

These recognise increasing levels of maturity in how you develop, measure and report social value within your organisation. 

Together, they act as a quality framework, underpinning your strategy and supporting your impact development. Clients tell us the real value is not in the award itself, but the process. At each stage of the journey you’ll be shifting perceptions, changing behaviours and embedding social value within your culture

The weightings change to reflect this – so for example at Silver level, there’s a strong emphasis on calculation. At Gold, the ability to calculate value is taken as expected, with the emphasis shifting to actual delivery and continuous improvement. 

Here’s a brief overview:

Bronze – ‘Commit’

Bronze looks for meaningful commitment – with the right foundations for successful social value delivery. This includes the right governance, measurable commitments and an action plan. It also requires the organisation to define what social value means to its employees, partners and customers. 

Silver – ‘Benchmark’

Silver takes the Bronze commitments to the next step by providing evidence to show they are having a meaningful impact. You’ll need to show solid evidence of strategy linked to stakeholder engagement, and will forecast your annual social value. You’ll also be expected to publish your impact report into the public domain. 

Gold – ‘Perform’

The Gold award recognises best practice and requires at least 12 months of solid evidence. It’s likely the company will have a mature and embedded strategy. The additional categories of ‘Performance Manage’ and ‘Trust’ are assessed. The first shows the extent to which social value is embedded within strategic decisions, while ‘Trust’ gauges independent reviews and assessments from employees, partners and customers based on their experiences of working or placing business with the organisation. 

Platinum – ‘Influence’

Platinum awardees are celebrated for their influence, innovation and collaboration. At this elite level, it’s no longer just about leading the organisation to higher standards of social value, but multiplying impact outwards to spread best practice within the sector and cross-industry. Platinum requires a full 2 years of evidence and assesses the additional categories of ‘Leadership and Influence’ and ‘Culture’. 

How Key Value Indicators (KVIs) Support Social Value Accreditation

Key Value Indicators (KVIs) are essential to SVQM’s structured assessment framework. They provide a consistent method for tracking progress against pledges, verifying outcomes, and supporting audit-level transparency.

Auditors review KVIs to:

  • Confirm measurable alignment to pledges
  • Ensure clarity in reporting and stakeholder communication
  • Evaluate performance improvement over time

An example of a pledge might be:

Employment and Volunteering

‘We pledge to help people reach their potential, increasing employability with access to sustainable work and volunteering.

An example of a supporting KVI might be:

‘200 hours of employment support provided this year for those experiencing barriers to work’

‘40% of people accessing employability support gain paid work within the subsequent 12 months’

At Bronze level, organisations are expected to establish defined KVIs. Silver looks for measurement and reporting against these, At Gold and Platinum, audit focus includes strategic use of KVI data in board reporting and operational refinement.

Explore the Full Social Value Accreditation Guides

For a deeper understanding of evidence requirements and assessment thresholds:

These guides include audit timelines, question sets, and documentation guidance aligned to SVQM’s six audit categories.

Ready to Apply for Social Value Accreditation?

No-one starts at zero – the chances are you’ll already be creating more social value than you realise. The SVQM enables you to learn and transform as you move through the levels. 

The main requirement for starting at Bronze is a genuine commitment to making a positive impact and to working through the process. You’ll learn as you go, from making measurable commitments to establishing your governance. 

It’s quick and easy to get started – Apply Online Now and take the next step toward achieving the Social Value Quality Mark.