At Steer Economic Development, we help our clients move beyond conventional impact assessments by developing bold, rigorous tools that unlock a deeper understanding of social, environmental, and economic value.
One of our recent innovations is the Mersey Forest Social Value Calculator: a bespoke, Excel-based tool designed to quantify the broader benefits of environmental and community-led projects.
Why measure Social Value?
We believe that a truly impactful investment must consider more than just financial outcomes. Our approach helps:
- Support better decision-making
- Strengthen funding bids
- Communicate impact with clarity and credibility
- Align with ESG goals and public sector requirements
About the tool
Commissioned by The Mersey Forest and developed by our team, the Social Value Calculator allows users to: 
- Assess projects before, during or after delivery
- Calculate Benefit-Cost Ratios and Social Return on Investment
- Demonstrate value across health, wellbeing, environment, education & economy
- Align with HM Treasury Green Book principles
Whether you are a local authority, a delivery partner, or a funder, the tool offers a simple but powerful framework to quantify and showcase your impact.
Real-world results
Using real data, our tool can demonstrate that high-impact green infrastructure projects, like tree planting, volunteering schemes, and outdoor education, can deliver a strong social return on investment, signalling exceptional value for public and private investment.
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