Grifo Developments challenges Social Value and ESG “box-ticking” with results-driven partnership

Grifo Developments is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Social Value Consultancy to strengthen our commitment to delivering measurable Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) outcomes across all our projects.

For too long, ESG has been reduced to glossy reports, buzzwords, and tick-box frameworks. Our mission is to change that. By embedding accredited measurement standards, we’re moving beyond promises and into transparent accountability.

Most platforms offer reporting — but reporting often stops at policies and outputs. We wanted more. We wanted to express our ESG strategy in outcomes that are material, time-bound and evidenced and, where possible, referenced to a counterfactual (what would have happened anyway).

The Social Value & ESG Calculator — aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and grounded in internationally recognised standards (including the GRI Standards and the Principles of Social Value) — isn’t about appearances. It’s about hard data, rigorous evaluation and holding ourselves to account on every project.

The Social Value & ESG Calculator gives us that capability: we can distinguish our intrinsic, embedded and added social value, link activities to outcomes, and quantify results using methods consistent with HM Treasury’s Green Book and recognised practice (e.g., SROI), while aligning with the Principles of Social Value (Social Value International). The result is a defensible audit trail that stands up to stakeholder and regulator scrutiny.

By adopting this platform, Grifo strengthens its ability to capture, measure, and manage impact with transparency and confidence. Together with Social Value Consultancy, we are embedding a culture of responsible growth, meaningful contributions, and lasting positive change.

This partnership underlines our belief that true development goes beyond buildings — it builds value for people, communities, and the planet.

Matthew Bates, Managing Director of Grifo Developments, said:

“We don’t believe ESG should be about chasing the latest sustainability slogan. It should be about proving outcomes in ways that matter to people, communities, and the environment. This partnership isn’t about marketing — it’s about measurable change. If we can’t track it, we won’t claim it.”

Gemma Barrett, Executive Assistant & ESG Team lead of Grifo Developments, said: “We are excited to work with Mark and his team knowing we will make huge strides with our ESG reporting goals, with their wealth of industry knowledge and robust ESG software. Their enthusiasm and supportive culture knits perfectly with our ESG team – we cannot wait to start sharing our results!”

Mark Bolger, Founder & CEO of Social Value Consultancy, said:

“We’re delighted to partner with Grifo. Our Social Value & ESG Calculator creates a single source of truth for impact — clear definitions, baselines, evidence and an audit trail — so you can verify outcomes, not just report activities. With Grifo we’ll co-design a measurement plan, set a reporting cadence and publish results that stand up to scrutiny from planners, investors and communities.”