diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_server/__init__.py b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_server/__init__.py
index 0b6a2a9069..2d3821ccbd 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_server/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_server/__init__.py
@@ -199,8 +199,11 @@ async def to_code(config):
 
 @automation.register_action("ble_server.characteristic_set_value", BLECharacteristicSetValueAction, cv.Schema({
     cv.Required(CONF_ID): cv.use_id(BLECharacteristic),
-    cv.Required(CONF_VALUE): CHARACTERISTIC_VALUE_SCHEMA, 
+    cv.Required(CONF_VALUE): cv.templatable(cv.string),
 }))
-async def ble_enable_to_code(config, action_id, template_arg, args):
-    char_var = await cg.get_variable(config[CONF_ID])
-    return cg.new_Pvariable(action_id, template_arg, char_var)
+async def ble_server_characteristic_set_value(config, action_id, template_arg, args):
+    paren = await cg.get_variable(config[CONF_ID])
+    var = cg.new_Pvariable(action_id, template_arg, paren)
+    template_ = await cg.templatable(config[CONF_VALUE], args, cg.std_string)
+    cg.add(var.set_value(template_))
+    return var
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_server/ble_server.h b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_server/ble_server.h
index e4c6cb7cc8..66e146bfee 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_server/ble_server.h
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_server/ble_server.h
@@ -32,11 +32,12 @@ class BLEServerAutomationInterface {
   
   template<typename... Ts> class BLECharacteristicSetValueAction : public Action<Ts...> {
   public:
-    BLECharacteristicSetValueAction(BLECharacteristic *characteristic) : characteristic_(characteristic) {}
-    void play(Ts... x) override { this->characteristic_->set_value(x...); }
+    BLECharacteristicSetValueAction(BLECharacteristic *characteristic) : parent_(characteristic) {}
+    TEMPLATABLE_VALUE(std::string, value)
+    void play(Ts... x) override {this->parent_->set_value(this->value_.value(x...)); }
 
   protected:
-    BLECharacteristic *characteristic_;
+    BLECharacteristic *parent_;
   };
 };
 
diff --git a/tests/components/esp32_ble_server/common.yaml b/tests/components/esp32_ble_server/common.yaml
index 7524227d00..b71c607c0a 100644
--- a/tests/components/esp32_ble_server/common.yaml
+++ b/tests/components/esp32_ble_server/common.yaml
@@ -15,8 +15,12 @@ esp32_ble_server:
     - uuid: 2a24b789-7a1b-4535-af3e-ee76a35cc42d
       advertise: false
       characteristics:
-        - id: test_write_characteristic
-          uuid: 2a24b789-7a1b-4535-af3e-ee76a35cc12d
+        - id: test_change_characteristic
+          uuid: 2a24b789-7a1b-4535-af3e-ee76a35cc11d
+          properties:
+            - read
+          value: "Initial"
+        - uuid: 2a24b789-7a1b-4535-af3e-ee76a35cc12d
           properties:
             - read
             - write
@@ -25,5 +29,5 @@ esp32_ble_server:
               - lambda: |-
                   ESP_LOGD("BLE", "Received: %s", x.c_str());
               - ble_server.characteristic_set_value:
-                  id: test_write_characteristic
-                  value: x
+                  id: test_change_characteristic
+                  value: !lambda 'return "Echo " + x + "";'
\ No newline at end of file