We go beneath
the surface.
We help infrastructure contractors, local authorities, NHS organisations and their supply chains deliver social value that is genuine, evidenced, and built around what communities actually need.
Like the technology we take our name from, we listen to communities, hear what others miss, and use that intelligence to build something that lasts.
What We Do
Our services
Trusted by the UK's leading organisations
Why Sonar
Most community engagement stays shallow.
A public meeting. A survey. A social value pledge written to score points, not to mean anything.
Sonar does it differently. We send real people into real places - on doorsteps, in community cafés, in places of worship and school halls - and listen carefully to what comes back. That's what the Social Value CWaNA™ methodology is for.
150+ years of combined experience in neighbourhood policing, healthcare, senior project management, partnerships, and conflict resolution.
Why Now?
PPN 002 has changed the game.
Most contractors haven't caught up yet.
What's changed
PPN 002 has fundamentally changed what is required of contractors bidding for public sector work - across every Outcome and Model Award Criterion, not just Section 3b.
In the government guidance, the words 'local' and 'community' appear 29 times. That is not a coincidence. It is a signal that genuine community understanding now runs through the entire framework.
What's required
Section 3b goes furthest still - requiring genuine community co-design and stakeholder engagement, with evidence. Not pledges. Not litter picks. Real community intelligence with an auditable trail.
Social Value CWaNA™ was built for exactly this - so contractors deliver with communities, not to them. It predates the legislation by four years.
Beyond PPN 002
We don't just know one framework. We work across all of them.
Whether you're bidding for NHS contracts, local authority work, or national infrastructure - Social Value CWaNA™ is mapped to the frameworks that matter most. No retrofitting. No guesswork.
We're not for everyone. That's the point.
If you want to tick boxes...
If your goal is to score the highest social value points in the easiest way possible - to tick boxes and move on - there are other consultancies who'll help you do that. We can point you towards them.
If you want to build a legacy...
If you want to genuinely engage communities and leave a lasting legacy - if you want social value to become the golden thread running through your business, driving real culture change - then Sonar is for you.
"The communities we work in aren't obstacles to manage. They're the intelligence source that makes everything better."
- Paul Valentine, Founder
The Methodology
The Social Value CWaNA™ Wheel
Community Wants and Needs Assessment - seven interconnected stages of evidence-based engagement, always anchored in your organisation's guiding principles.
Click any stage on the wheel to explore the CWaNA™ methodology. Each stage produces auditable evidence aligned to PPN 002.
Testimonials
In their words, not ours
"Usually, a lot of feedback we all get in this industry tends to be the negative. In giving feedback for this scheme, and for the Sonar team, there aren't any negatives for me to feedback - just positives."
- We couldn't have done this without them
Ian Doust
Programme Development Manager - Midlands Region
"Sonar is a key part of the Clifton Bridge team. Their knowledge and experience has assisted in building good relationships with local Councils and other key stakeholders impacted by this major scheme."
- A key asset
Steven Longden
East Midlands Asset Delivery - Project Manager
"SONAR has been pivotal in helping us deliver our industry-leading collaborative approach."
- Pivotal to our approach
Jason Marbeck
Strategy & Development Director, AmcoGiffen
Who We Work With
Trusted social value and stakeholder engagement experts
From Tier 1 contractors to local councils, our Social Value CWaNA™ methodology adapts to your sector while the evidence standard stays the same.
Tier 1 Contractors
Social Value CWaNA™ gives you an evidence-based audit trail for your PPN 002 requirements. It is the methodology that proves you genuinely engaged.
Book a discovery call →Bid Writers & Social Value Leads
Stop guessing what communities need. CWaNA™ training gives you a structured, repeatable methodology to gather real evidence and write compelling bids.
Explore training →Local Authorities & Councils
We help you understand what your community actually needs - not what you think they need. Independent, structured, evidence-based local needs assessments.
Request an assessment →NHS & Healthcare
Social value in healthcare goes beyond employment. We help NHS trusts and partners understand community health needs and design social value strategies that reflect real lived experience.
Talk to us →SMEs & Supply Chain
You don't need a huge team to deliver genuine social value. CWaNA™ training certifies your team to lead community engagement and helps you stand out in the supply chain.
Get certified →Training & Certification
Social value training and certification for everyone
CPD accredited, open to all
Social Value Training
Practical, hands-on social value training for professionals who need to understand the landscape, meet compliance requirements, and deliver real community impact.
CWaNA™ Practitioner Certification
Completion of the 6-session CPD-accredited programme. Personal certificate and right to state 'CWaNA™ trained' in bids and profiles.
Not sure which is right for you? The Social Value course is the practical starting point. The CWaNA™ programme is for practitioners who want a repeatable methodology they can use on every project.
Explore training and certificationReady to go deeper?
Whether you need a Social Value CWaNA™ assessment, want to train your team, or are exploring licensing - we'd love to hear from you.