In our latest green and eco case study, we look at why Schools must bring their supply chain into the climate, nature and social value mission – and how Heart Academies Trust is addressing the challenge
Note: This case study has been split into two parts. You can find the first instalment here
How HEART Academies Trust is making progress
HEART Academies Trust has recognised that meaningful climate action and social value cannot be delivered by schools alone. It requires aligned partners, strong data and a clear framework. That is why the Trust has developed a pioneering approach to sustainable procurement and supply chain transformation, combining Planet Mark’s decarbonisation expertise with Value Match’s social value and ethical procurement expertise. Together, they are reshaping the way the Trust understands, manages and improves the environmental and social impact of every contract.
Planet Mark: Raising standards and building supplier capability
Through Planet Mark’s Supply Chain Engagement Programme, HEART has:
- analysed sustainability maturity across all top suppliers
- supported suppliers to measure and report their own carbon footprints
- introduced consistent, high‑quality Scope 3 data collection
- created clear pathways for suppliers at different stages of the sustainability journey
- started to establish transparent expectations around emissions reporting, biodiversity impact and ethical behaviour
Planet Mark has also helped HEART set credible net‑zero and reduction targets, ensuring that supplier data feeds directly into strategic planning rather than sitting in isolation.
The result is a step‑change in visibility. HEART now knows where its biggest environmental impacts lie, which suppliers are ready to move faster, and where sustained partnership is needed to deliver long‑term emissions reduction.
Value Match: Embedding Social Value and Ethical Excellence
While Planet Mark focuses on carbon and environmental impact, Value Match has strengthened HEART’s approach to responsible, value‑driven procurement.
Through their partnership, HEART now systematically:
- integrates social value commitments into every relevant tender
- pre‑qualifies suppliers on sustainability, modern slavery, equality, human rights and ethical practice
- contracts for measurable social value outcomes, not promises
- ensures local communities, students and families benefit from supplier expertise
- uses procurement as a lever for equity, opportunity and wellbeing
The outcomes speak for themselves: suppliers providing apprenticeships and internships, curriculum enrichment, employability support, environmental restoration projects, cost‑saving uniform initiatives, and new opportunities for young people who most need them.
HEART’s published policies and framework set a clear ambition: procurement must benefit not just the Trust, but the communities it serves. Value Match helps translate this principle into every purchasing decision.
A Model for the Sector
HEART’s approach demonstrates what is possible when sustainability and social value are not add‑ons but core decision‑making principles.
The Trust is working towards:
- a maturing database of supplier sustainability performance
- a structured pathway for suppliers to decarbonise
- stronger governance and contract management
- a transparent social value programme aligned to local need
- a supply chain increasingly aligned with HEART’s mission, values and climate commitments
In short: HEART is building a supply chain capable of supporting future‑ready, climate‑resilient, socially responsible education.
The future of school procurement is one where every transaction creates multiple forms of value. It is a future where suppliers don’t simply deliver products, they deliver learning opportunities, environmental leadership, community wellbeing and ethical stewardship.
HEART Academies Trust is already travelling this path. Others across the sector now have opportunity to follow, not through complexity or cost, but through clarity, partnership and purpose. The climate and nature crises ask difficult questions of our schools. But they also offer a profound opportunity…to shape a generation that understands not only the challenges, but the possibilities of a more sustainable, just and hopeful future.
By rethinking procurement through the lens of climate action, biodiversity gain and social value – and by working with expert partners like Planet Mark and Value Match – schools can take decisive steps toward that future. And like HEART, they can prove that the most powerful change happens when we build it together.
