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This descriptive exploratory case study reveals the current state of an innovative municipal services’ design for socially responsible tenders, as well as its sustainability findings. A mixed-method approach enables the collection of rich, contextual information from the 60 participating organisations that contribute to the three-step design of this socially responsible framework. Data is analysed using bivariate analysis against the different research variables. Findings indicate an individual notion of strongly correlated procuring public services, involving traditional and digital communication approaches. They lead to innovative public private socioeconomic synergies in supply chain management (SCM), as well as the reestablishment of the city’s social and environmental profile. Growing implications in the Greek public and private sectors link the role of social responsibility to sustainable supply chain management practices (SSCM). As a result, current municipal tenders are reflecting a socially responsible framework design for the city’s growth and sustainable development. In a European post-financial crisis era where budgets are limited, this study contributes to (i) European sustainability socially responsible services and (ii) lessons learned from the participating actors of an SR design, setting a valuable SSCM example for other European counties.

The aim of the paper is to analyse the capitalistic firm, not only as systems for the creation of economic and financial value for their shareholders, but also that is evaluated for the social values. The financial performance and the value of capital, is measured by a coherent system of monetary values. Nevertheless, if we do not limit our view to simply the shareholders but consider instead the stakeholders, we must then also broaden our notion of the production of sustainable value to include both the social and the environmental values. This implies an intense social action based on transparency, reputation and the dialogue with the stakeholders that need to be communicates. The sustainability report is the instrument to inform the stakeholders how the firm, by pursuing its own prevailing interests, contributes to improving the quality of life of the members of the society in which it operates and that can, in all respects, represent a means for the creation of sustainable value.