Social Value Policy and Commitments

1. Purpose

This policy sets out how Unolabs Limited creates social value through the way we run our business. It lists our general commitments, who owns each one, and how we measure and report it.

It also explains how we agree a separate social value plan for each public contract we win.

2. Scope

This policy covers Unolabs Limited and the people who work for it in the UK.

Our group company in India, Unolabs Technologies Private Limited, may support some activities. Where it does, we say so in our reports.

This policy does not cover the social value commitments in any single contract. Those are agreed with each buyer, as described in section 7.

3. Framework

We follow these:

• the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012;
• the Procurement Act 2023 and the National Procurement Policy Statement;
• Procurement Policy Note 002 (PPN 002) and the Social Value Model it introduced.

We group our commitments under the Social Value Model's themes. We do not claim any accreditation, award or certification for social value.

4. Roles and responsibilities

• The board of directors approves this policy and reviews progress once a year.
• The Social Value owner, appointed by the board, owns every commitment below, keeps the records and publishes the results.
• Contract leads agree and deliver the social value plan for their contract, and report to the Social Value owner.
• Everyone who works for us can take part and suggest new activities.

5. Our commitments

Each commitment starts on the date shown. Until then it is a plan, not a practice. Targets for each measure are set by the board and published in our first annual report.

Commitment 1: Skills and digital inclusion in our local community

Theme: breaking down barriers to opportunity.

What we will do: give staff time to support schools, colleges, charities and community groups in Kingston upon Thames and nearby. This may include talks, mentoring, CV and interview practice, and basic digital skills sessions.

• Owner: Social Value owner
• Measure: volunteer hours given; sessions held; people supported
• Start date: 1 January 2027
• Reporting: recorded monthly; published every 6 months

Commitment 2: Fair treatment of small suppliers

Theme: growing the economy through resilient supply chains.

What we will do: make it simple for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs) to work with us. Our intent is to pay undisputed invoices from these suppliers within 30 days of receiving them. This is a goal, not a guarantee, until we have measured it. We will pass fair payment terms down to any subcontractor on a public contract.

• Owner: Social Value owner, with our finance lead
• Measure: share of undisputed invoices paid within 30 days; number of SME and VCSE suppliers used
• Start date: 1 January 2027
• Reporting: measured quarterly; published every 6 months

Commitment 3: Fair work and wellbeing

Theme: breaking down barriers to opportunity, and health and wellbeing.

We follow the law on written terms of employment, flexible working requests and reasonable adjustments. These are legal duties, not new commitments.

What we will also do:

• give every employee a named manager;
• hold a wellbeing check-in with each employee at least every 3 months;
• respond in writing to every flexible working request, with our reasons;
• recruit openly and fairly, and offer reasonable adjustments at every stage of recruitment.

• Owner: Social Value owner, with the director responsible for people
• Measure: share of employees with a wellbeing check-in each quarter; flexible working requests received and agreed; an annual anonymous staff survey score
• Start date: 1 January 2027
• Reporting: reviewed quarterly; published once a year

Commitment 4: Sharing knowledge on responsible and trustworthy AI

Theme: growing the economy through innovation.

What we will do: share what we know about using AI safely, fairly and openly. We will publish free, plain-English guidance on unolabs.com. We will also give free talks to small businesses, charities and community groups.

• Owner: Social Value owner, with our Chief Technology Officer
• Measure: guidance pieces published; free talks given; organisations reached
• Start date: 1 January 2027
• Reporting: recorded quarterly; published every 6 months

6. How we measure and publish

• We record activity in a social value tracker as it happens.
• The Social Value owner checks the records each quarter.
• We publish results on unolabs.com against each commitment. We publish every 6 months, plus an annual summary.
• We report what we actually delivered, including any target we missed and why.
• We do not count the same activity twice, for example under this policy and a contract plan.
• We keep any personal data about participants to a minimum and handle it under our Data Protection Policy.

7. Contract-specific social value plans

When a public buyer asks for social value in a tender, we write a separate plan for that contract. For each one:

1. We start from the buyer's choice. We respond to the theme, outcome and award criteria the buyer has set.
2. We keep it relevant and proportionate. Activities link to the subject of the contract and to its size.
3. We make it specific. Each commitment has a target, a deadline and an owner. We use the buyer's reporting metrics where they apply.
4. We agree it before we start. We confirm the plan with the buyer during mobilisation, and it becomes part of the contract.
5. We report to the buyer. We report progress to the buyer's contract manager at the agreed times.
6. We publish with permission. We publish contract-specific results on unolabs.com only once the buyer agrees.

If a commitment falls behind, the contract lead agrees a recovery action with the buyer. Delays are reported to the Social Value owner.

8. Questions, feedback and concerns

You can ask about this policy, suggest an activity, or tell us we have not met a commitment. Email info@unolabs.com with the subject line "Social Value".

We aim to reply within 10 working days. If you are not satisfied, ask for your concern to go to a director.

9. Training and awareness

We will brief everyone who works for us on this policy within 4 weeks of the effective date, and new joiners at induction.

10. Monitoring, review and change log

We review this policy every 12 months. We review it sooner if the law, PPN 002 or the Social Value Model changes.

11. Contact