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Social Value Exchange (SVE) is a web-based SaaS marketplace developed by civic tech startup Firesouls to operationalise the UK Social Value Act 2012. While legislation required public bodies to consider wider social benefits in procurement, there was no structured mechanism for delivering or measuring those commitments. SVE introduced that mechanism through a credit-based e-auction model embedded directly into procurement workflows.

The platform connects contracting authorities, commercial suppliers bidding for public contracts, and community organisations delivering grassroots projects. By translating policy into structured digital interaction, SVE turned social value from an aspirational requirement into a measurable, scalable system, adopted by major councils including Kent County Council and Birmingham City Council.

The project aimed to design a clear and scalable dashboard experience within a structurally complex three-sided marketplace. The platform needed to support councils overseeing procurement frameworks, suppliers competing in social value auctions, and community organisations seeking access to resources, each operating within different workflows, incentives, and levels of digital confidence.

The objective was to translate abstract procurement mechanics, including Social Value Credits, competitive e-auctions, accreditation dependencies, and post-transaction reporting, into intuitive role-based interfaces. Clarity, accountability, and scalability were central to the brief, ensuring the system could function reliably within high-value public procurement environments.

Discovery & Experience Definition

Three core user groups were identified early: procurement officers, suppliers, and small community organisations. Research focused on their distinct needs, from oversight and bidding motivations to onboarding constraints. Working closely with the founders ensured that legal and procurement requirements were reflected clearly in the product's flows, shaping the initial user journeys and clarifying how accreditation, auction participation, and reporting states fit together within the system.

Information Architecture & User Flows

The dashboard needed to work for three quite different user groups, all operating within the same underlying data model. User flows were defined for onboarding, auction creation and participation, filtering and discovery, reporting, and resource verification.

With a high volume of sensitive procurement data to present, information hierarchy was a priority. Progressive disclosure was used to surface the most important signals first, with the option to dig deeper where needed. The goal was to make things feel simpler without stripping out the detail that mattered.

Wireframing & Interaction Prototyping

Wireframes were used to validate navigation, auction mechanics, and dashboard clarity before any visual design was introduced. Interactive prototypes in Figma then tested the bidding interactions, credit allocation logic, and how information was shared across different user roles. Translating the e-auction model into an intuitive interaction pattern took particular care: Social Value Credits and competitive resource pledging needed to feel transparent and fair, while staying compliant with procurement standards.

Design System & High-Fidelity UI

A design system was built to support consistency and make the product easier to scale over time. Foundational elements including typography, spacing, colour, variables, and reusable components were established during the transition from wireframes to high-fidelity UI. Components covered dashboards, data tables, filters, status indicators, and reporting modules. Colour was used semantically to communicate auction states, accreditation progress, and reporting signals, not for branding. Close collaboration with the developer throughout ensured a smooth handoff and reduced guesswork during implementation.

Designing for a Three-Sided Marketplace

Unlike a typical two-sided platform, SVE had to balance the needs of councils, suppliers, and community organisations simultaneously. Each group operated under different constraints and incentives. Designing distinct but coherent role-based experiences on a shared data structure required continuous prioritisation and careful system thinking.

Translating an Abstract Economic Model

Social Value Credits and competitive resource pledging are not widely understood concepts. The interaction model needed to make bidding feel intuitive while keeping procurement transparency and compliance intact. Simplification couldn't come at the cost of rigour.

Managing Data-Dense Dashboards

Councils and housing associations needed oversight across multiple contracts, suppliers, and community projects. Presenting that volume of information without overwhelming users required disciplined hierarchy, structured layouts, and strong visual clarity.

Verification & Impact Measurement

Credibility depended on confirming that pledged resources were actually delivered. Post-auction reporting and verification flows needed to be clearly structured to support accountability and measurable impact across procurement cycles. A principle that emerged through iteration: clarity drives engagement: the simpler the process, the more likely stakeholders were to participate meaningfully.

SVE grew from a 2015 pilot with Genesis Housing Association on a £20 million contract, generating £450,000 in community resources, to national adoption across London boroughs, major housing associations, and councils. Kent County Council leveraged up to £2 billion in procurement spend through the platform. Independent evaluation found that for every £1 passing through SVE, £222 in additional social value was generated for local communities.

The platform received the CIPS award for Best Initiative to Deliver Social Value through Procurement for its work with Birmingham City Council. Birmingham now designates SVE as the primary channel for delivering community projects for Social Value commitments.

From a product perspective, SVE demonstrated how structured UX, clear dashboard design, and solid information architecture can turn complex legislation into a functioning, measurable civic system at scale.