Save the date to join us for our next Marketplace Impact event focussed on social procurement in Canada. 

May 27, 2025

10am - 12pm PT / 1pm - 3pm ET

Online

This virtual event will include panel discussions about growing trends and best practices in social procurement implementation, how to build supply chain and community resilience, and a celebration of Social Procurement and Social Enterprise Champion Award Winners. 

More details coming soon!

As the Trade War with America and economic uncertainty continues to unfold, Buy Social Canada urges purchasers to buy from local social enterprises and other social purpose organizations to strengthen our communities and reduce risk in uncertain economic times. Now is the perfect opportunity to pivot to more resilient, community-driven procurement practices.

"This threat to our local economies is an opportunity to stand together and recentre our priorities to align with our local economic values. We welcome anyone to reach out and access our open-source resources, training, and consulting services. We can help you to pivot your purchasing, quickly and effectively.”

– Elizabeth Chick-Blount, Buy Social Canada CEO

Buy Social Canada COO Tori Williamson also recently took part in an engaging CityTalk conversation titled "When Global Hits Local: Navigating Tariffs on Canada’s Main Streets" to share additional thoughts and strategies.

Buy Social Canada delivers the BC Social Procurement Initiative (BCSPI) to promote purchasing that benefits people, planet, and community in British Columbia.

BCSPI membership provides local governments and institutional purchasers with capacity building, training, tools, resources, and community expertise. By being a part of the BCSPI community, you will gain the skills to implement social procurement to align with your community’s priorities and values.

Maximize the benefits of your spending and get the best value for every dollar through strategic implementation of social procurement, with the support of BCSPI.

Join Buy Social Canada and Community Champion LOCO BC for a virtual webinar on "The "Buy Canadian" movement + Your Organization's Purchasing."

April 9, 2025

11am-12pm PT / 2pm-3pm ET

Online via Zoom

Many local governments are directing staff to seek new Canadian service providers, just as businesses are directing their attention to markets closer to home. LOCO BC and Buy Social Canada are partnering to bring you a workshop on how your organization can implement strategies to support local and social purchasing without contravening existing Canadian and European trade agreements.

Don't forget to nominate the great organizations in your network who are furthering social procurement and social enterprise in Canada!

Deadline for nominations: March 28, 2025

The Buy Social Canada team will review the nominations, decide on a short-list of nominees and announce the Champion Award winners at our upcoming Marketplace Impact event in May.

We look forward to the opportunity to connect with, recognize, and celebrate champions in the sector.

Measurement and reporting is critical for a robust social procurement practice. Measuring social procurement spend, alongside other outcomes, enables organizations to track progress, identify gaps, and plan for continuous improvement.

At Buy Social Canada, we measure and track our spend with social enterprises and other social value suppliers, including small local businesses, Indigenous businesses, diverse-owned businesses, co-operatives, and non-profits.

We support other organizations to implement measurement and reporting through our consulting services and Social Purchasing Partnerships.

Buy Social Canada commits to continued social procurement that prioritizes social enterprises wherever possible and we encourage you to track and share your spend!

Welcome to our newest Social Purchasing Partners: City of Mississauga and Jacobs!

We look forward to working with both organizations to advance their social procurement journey to buy social and buy local for community resilience while achieving strategic goals. 

Riding the "Buy Canada" Wave with BC Buy Local

March 13, 2025

9:30am – 11am PT / 12:30 – 2pm ET

Online

Join Buy Social Canada Community Champion LOCO BC for this free workshop and discover actionable strategies to strengthen your business, contribute to a thriving local economy. The session will include practical tools to measure, promote, and enhance your local impact.

This workshop is designed primarily for businesses in BC who focus on B2B sales. 

First CLASP event of 2025 takes place March 26

March 26, 2025

9-10am PT / 12-1pm ET

Online

CLASP events are an exclusive space for Buy Social Canada Social Purchasing Partners, Engage Members, consulting clients and BCSPI Members to deepen their knowledge and practice of social procurement.

This quarter's focus is "How social procurement can advance folks facing potential tariffs and uncertainty."

Social Procurement Roundtables Today and Tomorrow

Toronto

March 11, 2-3pm ET

Online via Zoom

Vancouver

March 13, 3-4pm PT

In Person

Our Vancouver and Toronto Social Procurement Roundtables bring together local social enterprises, social purchasers, intermediaries and community members to build relationships, learn about opportunities and collaborate to shape the social value marketplace.

Register now to join the May-June 2025 cohort of the Social Procurement Professional Certificate course.

This certificate program has been developed to provide both private and public sector participants with in-depth knowledge of the fundamental components of social procurement success; how to create a social value culture within your organization; steps needed to develop Social Procurement policy; and how to implement social procurement practices into your current RFx processes, to leverage procurement spend to drive more social value.

Read the course outline (pdf) to learn more.

May-June 2025 cohort dates:

May 29, June 5, 12, 19, 2025 from 10am – 12pm PT / 1 – 3pm ET

Participants in the course will receive a copy of David LePage’s book, Marketplace Revolution.

Skoden Flex Staffing

Skoden Flex Staffing provides flexible, community-centred staffing solutions in Winnipeg and the surrounding areas.

Specializing in construction, demolition, and warehousing roles, Skoden offers a variety of entry level and safety-certified workers ready to meet your labour needs, whether its for a short-term project or to help with ongoing support.