National social enterprise and procurement consortium Fusion21 has won the ‘Driving Value for Money’ category in the first Cabinet Office Social Value Awards.

The awards – which recognise and celebrate best practice in commissioning and providing social value – were announced at the third Social Value Summit, on Thursday February 11, in London.

Shortlisted alongside Gloucestershire County Council and Data Performance Consultancy, Fusion21 was selected for demonstrating a clear focus on achieving social value within available budgets, backed up by evidence.

Through a collaborative approach with its membership, Fusion21 has delivered c£125m savings through the procurement process, created over 2300 jobs, and generated around £56m in community impact across the country.

In 2014 – 2015 alone Fusion21 generated £13,901,647 of social return on investment for members – in addition to £13,243,226 in efficiency savings.

Commenting on the win, Dave Neilson, Chief Executive at Fusion21, said: “Fusion21 is committed to generating social value which supports the growth, stabilisation and development of communities – whilst also delivering intelligent procurement solutions and cost savings to our members.

“Our approach to social value seeks to create maximum benefit for communities at a localised level, creating a range of positive outcomes – from job creation, to training and wider community regeneration. We are really proud to have been recognised for our contributions, and winning in such a strong category.”

The Cabinet Office Social Value Awards honour organisations and individuals whose activity reflects recommendations made in the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012.

Fusion21 has supported this Act since its introduction, and will continue to raise awareness of the importance of social value in procurement exercises, as a part of the SEUK Social Economy Alliance.