Social value
We aim to leave a lasting, positive legacy wherever we work, improving communities beyond the infrastructure we create.
Social value comes in many forms and means different things to different people. For us, social value means that on all our projects we support…
- Local businesses through local spend & collaboration
- Local employment
- Skills, education & training
- Provide a diverse & inclusive workplace
- Enhanced community engagement
- Volunteering and charitable contributions
We record and measure our social value using the Thrive social value platform; we’ve set ourselves the target of delivering social value equivalent to 30% of our turnover (32.5% achieved in 2025-26) and we use the Impact Evaluation Standard to set the framework for our social value plan.
Employment & apprenticeships
We prioritise local recruitment on every major project. We create apprenticeship opportunities and structured development programmes that give people in the communities we work in a pathway into the construction and infrastructure industry. We work with schools and colleges to raise awareness of the sector and the careers it offers, particularly for young people and for groups that are underrepresented in the industry.
Supply chain investment
A significant portion of the value in every Octavius project flows through our supply chain. We build long-term relationships with specialist SME partners, many of them regional businesses. And we invest in those relationships: fair commercial terms, prompt payment, development support and the kind of collaborative working that helps smaller businesses grow. Local supply chain spend is local economic development.
The Thrive platform
Thrive is Octavius's social value measurement platform. It independently assesses the economic, social and environmental value created by our projects against recognised frameworks. The outputs — employment figures, apprenticeship numbers, local spend data, community investment totals — are verifiable, comparable and publishable. In 2025–26, Thrive recorded over £116 million in social value: the evidence base that supports every claim we make about our community impact.
