Social Outcomes Conference 2025

Since 2018, we have convened a growing global community dedicated to improving social outcomes through cross-sector partnerships, offering a space for shared learning and meaningful engagement with the emerging evidence. The early editions of the conference had a particular emphasis on innovative, outcomes-oriented forms of cross-sector partnerships such as social impact bonds (increasingly referred to as social outcomes partnerships or social outcomes contracts). This has since served as a springboard for exploration of wider questions:

• How can we build effective cross-sector partnerships that drive impact?
• What does it mean to embed meaningful outcomes at the heart of public services?
• How can data and evidence be used to inform smarter, outcomes-focused decision-making?
• What lessons can be applied across sectors to improve policy design and delivery?

Though the topics have expanded, the conference remains committed to bridging academia, policy, and practice for better social outcomes, emphasising inclusive evidence-building and open knowledge-sharing. We encourage participants to embrace this interdisciplinary exchange, recognising that learning from those outside one’s immediate field is a valuable opportunity. We are committed to rigorous research and evidence-driven insights, ensuring that academic advancements inform best practices in policy and implementation—and that, in turn, real-world practice shapes the research agenda.

Attendees can expect a dynamic environment that fosters cross-sector dialogue, deepens understanding, and advances the field of outcomes-focused work. As in previous years, the conference will feature discussions on the latest thinking and findings from academic research alongside insights from emerging practice across different geographies, disciplines and policy areas.

Last year’s conference highlighted a shared challenge faced by practitioners, policymakers, and researchers worldwide: outcomes-based contracting often remains trapped in the innovation stage—piloted in small-scale projects, perceived as niche, and struggling to have its learnings properly embedded into mainstream policy and practice. Across sessions, we heard how many were grappling with this very issue, culminating in a dedicated discussion at the end of the conference. Building on this momentum, SOC25 seeks to push the conversation further, exploring how we can embed systemic, mission-oriented approaches that moves beyond isolated successes to achieve large-scale, lasting impact across sectors and institutions. SOC24’s conversations highlighted the need to transition from isolated achievements to sustainable, impactful frameworks. The salience of this challenge echoes globally: with multi-lateral organisations like the UN and the World Economic Forumemphasising the importance of scalable and verifiable impact strategies to enhance accountability and drive meaningful change and the World Bank actively exploring ways to integrate sustainability and resilience into its projects, aiming to institutionalise meaningful outcomes at scale. Governments worldwide are also grappling with how to centre meaningful outcomes within their institutions such as the UK's focus on mission-driven government reflecting a broader commitment to embedding impactful strategies into public administration

To sustain ambitious social change, focus must shift from isolated achievements to embedding systemic, mission-oriented ways of working across sectors and institutions. At this year's Social Outcomes Conference, we ask: how can a focus on outcomes and impact become institutionalised in policy and practice? The theme for SOC25 is:

Institutionalising outcomes and impact: partnerships for systemic change

How can we build enduring frameworks that prioritise long-term, preventative strategies, fostering collaboration across sectors? How can outcomes-based working help embed accountability and value for money? How can partnerships and policies evolve to address critical societal challenges with an impact-focused, mission-oriented approach? What does it mean to put a social-contract, values, and outcomes at the heart of cross-sector partnerships? At SOC25 we will explore how mission-oriented governance, impact measurement, innovative contracting practices, and cross-sector partnerships can become mainstream strategies for sustainable and scalable outcomes across sectors. To apply this theme, we've organised the conference into several clusters around the mechanisms, tools, and framing for institutionalising outcomes. By engaging with these themes and clusters, SOC25 aims to advance the conversation on how to embed meaningful outcomes into the fabric of our institutions, driving systemic change that is both sustainable and impactful.

For the Social Outcomes Conference we have four guiding principles which underpins all of our content

1. Fresh perspectives & innovation: We are keen to hear about innovations, examples of building on the traditional foundations to create something fresh, and experiments or case studies that have yet to be studied in detail. We wish to hear from alternative voices and perspectives – that may disrupt assumptions and bring fresh views. We continue to seek insights from a wider range of voices: from different practice backgrounds, distinct leadership voices, and different national, regional, social, academic, and professional contexts.
2. Evidence-based: We are committed to academic excellence in all our work. For SOC25 this means an expectation for all insights and conference applications to be grounded in robust evidence.
3. Diversity: We value diversity and inclusion and are committed to creating a conference where the rich intersection of different voices and backgrounds are prioritised. We encourage applications from individuals and organisations representing a range of backgrounds spanning ethnic, cultural, geographical, and income differences.
4. Pragmatic & constructive: We encourage all contributions to bring critical, thoughtful perspectives while balancing this with being constructive – making a positive contribution. We believe in bringing together academia and policy practice – making sure both are helping address and inform the other.