Buy Social Canada has been leading on social procurement design, implementation, and advocacy for the past 10 years. Since 2019 we have celebrated Social Procurement Champion Awards to recognize that our leadership also comes from how we support and promote other organizations who create impact in supply chains. As Buy Social Canada’s 10th anniversary year enters its final quarter, we’re releasing an “Updates from the Marketplace Revolution” blog series to share progress on Social Procurement Champion Award winners from years gone by.

In the first instalment, we’re revisiting one of our more unique award winners: the unnamed public servants of the Federal Government.

Read our latest blog post to learn more about why the unnamed public servants were chosen for an award, and what the Government of Canada can do next to improve supports for social procurement and social enterprise and create more consistent, stable support for the social economy sector.

Work with Buy Social Canada to develop a social procurement practice that delivers on your organization’s values and goals. We make social procurement easy and impactful. 

The Buy Social Journey includes six components which are the key to the long-term success of social procurement at your organization. They are:

1. Learn
2. Engage
3. Policy
4. Action
5. Measure
6. Lead

Participants of our Social Procurement Professional Certificate course may recognize that engage has been added to the journey. Engage has always been integrated into our process but we want it to be more explicit because working in collaboration with stakeholders improves social procurement effectiveness and builds buy in.

The journey to embed social procurement in your organization is not linear. Depending on a range of factors, including your organization’s priorities, size, capacity, and prior understanding of social procurement, you may choose to take on a number of these activities at once or in an order that makes sense to you.

Buy Social Canada can work with you on a complete journey package or to support

whichever areas you want to focus on. 

We work in collaboration with your organization to conduct research and explore solutions to your key questions. The Buy Social Canada team brings extensive knowledge of the complexities of the field of social procurement and has experience diving deep into nuanced areas.

Currently, we're contracted to conduct a market capacity assessment to establish the local capacity of workforce development programs, social enterprises, Indigenous businesses, and diverse-owned businesses who could participate in construction, infrastructure and development projects.

Past research projects include an analysis of low-barrier methods to identify and include diverse suppliers in procurement for AnchorTO, the Voices of Industry report exploring industry perspectives and best practices for community benefits in construction for Employment and Social Development Canada, and annual member surveys and reports for Destination Vancouver.

If this kind of research would be valuable to your organization, don't hesitate to contact us at info@buysocialcanada.com to learn more.

Buy Social Canada is contracted by Destination Vancouver, a Buy Social Leader, to produce an annual survey and report to identify the current number of organizations that identify as social purpose organizations and diverse-owned businesses across Destination Vancouver’s membership, and understand member’s knowledge, perceptions and implementation of social procurement. These reports establish a baseline of social procurement activities in the Vancouver tourism sector and tell a more complete story of the positive impact of tourism, hospitality, and events.

Destination Vancouver and Buy Social Canada will launch the 2024 State of Social Procurement Report on October 10 at a webinar for Destination Vancouver members, sharing highlights and learnings from the data. Following the webinar, the Report will be available publicly.

Buy Social Canada co-hosted a Community Benefits Day on the Hill in partnership with Ontario Nonprofit Network and Community Benefits Networks from Toronto (TCBN), Ottawa (OCBN), Hamilton (HCBN), and Niagara (NCBN), to directly engage with key policymakers, emphasize the impact of community benefits agreements (CBAs), and highlight the stories of people who are leading the CBA movement.

Pictured (L to R): Mary Huang from the Ottawa Community Benefits Network (OCBN) speaks to Members of Parliament; Member of Parliament for St. Catherines Chris Bittle shares remarks in his role as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities; Buy Social Canada Senior Social Procurement Consultant Sabrina Musto shakes hands with Senator Tony Dean.

BUILDEX Alberta

October 23-24, 2024

BMO Centre at Stampede Park, Calgary

Buy Social Canada COO Tori Williamson will speak as part of a panel on Social Procurement in the Built Environment: Creating Social, Human, Cultural & Economic Capital.

The Gathering 2024

October 25, 2024

Children of the Earth High School, Winnipeg

Buy Social Canada Senior Procurement Consultant Sabrina Musto will share how to "Plan, Grow, Sustain Your Social Enterprise Impact" at CCEDNet's annual The Gathering. The presentation will highlight how social enterprises can take advantage of social procurement opportunities.

CIPMM Emerging Trends Virtual Symposium

November 19, 2024

Virtual

Buy Social Canada COO Tori Williamson will share case studies of social procurement implementation at the Canadian Institute for Procurement and Material Management's (CIPMM) annual Emerging Trends virtual event.

Sustainable Finance Forum

November 28-29, 2024

Shaw Centre, Ottawa

Join Buy Social Canada at the Sustainable Finance Forum to connect with industry and community leaders, elected officials and policy makers to advance the vital and powerful role finance can play to grow a sustainable and inclusive economy.

CLASP - Measurement that matters: Social procurement reporting practices 

December 3

9-10am PT / 12-1pm ET

Online via Airmeet

Buy Social Canada Social Purchasing Partners and BCSPI Members will receive a calendar invitation to attend.



Social Procurement Professional Certificate

February 2025 cohort:

February 4, 11, 18 and 25, 2025 from 10am – 12pm PT / 1 – 3pm ET

Online via Zoom

Designed for purchasers from the public and private sectors. Read the course outline (pdf) to learn more.

Buy Social Canada is a dissemination partner for the fourth edition of the 2024 Sustainable Procurement Barometer and its survey, which will launch on October 15. The survey is an essential diagnostic tool to assess your responsible procurement practices and contribute to building a national portrait of responsible purchasing.

The launch webinar will take place on the following dates:

In French:

October 15, 2024

9-10am PT / 12-1pm ET

In English:

October 16, 2024

9-10am PT / 12-1pm ET

Created by ECPAR in 2012, the Barometer is a unique and recognized tool for responsible purchasing that allows organizations to self-assess, identify their strengths and areas for improvement based on key components and indicators, and measure their maturity across five levels.

Contact SPBarometer@ecpar.org with any questions, or for more information.

BCSPI is pleased to welcome its newest member: Village of Pemberton!

Pemberton is a village municipality located 25 minutes North of Whistler in the Squamish-Lillooet region, with a population of 3,407. Home to outdoor adventures and stunning vistas, Pemberton’s authentic adventure culture provide an ideal place to enjoy arts, culture, recreation, and more.

We look forward to supporting Village of Pemberton with their social procurement objectives.

Hiregood is a Certified Social Enterprise which operates in Edmonton and Calgary. They hire people facing barriers to traditional employment to complete various contracts from cleaning and maintaining private and public spaces, to providing security.

Read "Hiring the unhoused: Edmonton’s solution" to learn about Hiregood's impact and success, and how other communities think a social enterprise like Hiregood could make a difference in their local context. 

Megaphone Breakfast Fundraiser 2024

On October 17th from 7-10 am at the Roundhouse Community Centre (181 Roundhouse Mews), join Megaphone along with 125+ industry professionals as they enjoy a catered breakfast, keynote speech by award-winning journalist Michelle Cyca, and celebrate their Vendor of the Year and Angel Gates Memorial Award recipient. Get additional info and tickets now.

Binners’ Project Coffee Cup Revolution (CCR)

The CCR is set to return to Victory Square Park on Thursday, October 17th from 11:00-2:00 pm. At this event Binners can return used coffee cups for 10 cents a cup at Binners' Projects’s pop-up depot. In addition to the depot, the Binners’ Project team invites community partners and organizations to join them as we look at our broader waste systems and learn how Binners contribute and impact those systems.

Australian Payment by Outcomes trial shows the power of social enterprise - White Box Enterprises, trial data and reports

Meet Marcia Nozick, RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards Social Change — Regional Impact Finalist - Women of Influence, spotlighting Certified Social Enterprise EMBERS

The Governor General of Canada and her spouse, Mr. Whit Frazer, had the opportunity to visit The Flower Cart Group, a nonprofit organization which runs several social enterprises focused on inclusive social and employment opportunities for adults with diverse abilities or barriers to employment.

During her visit, her Excellency enjoyed a few hands on activities with staff and clients as she made rolls and put the finishing touches on one of the Flower Cart's Pride Benches.

Solar Alberta

Solar Alberta is a nonprofit society that accelerates a just and sustainable energy future in Alberta.

They sell affordable professional development courses and workshops, and offer memberships that come with significant benefits for solar and related businesses, nonprofits, microgenerators, and solar enthusiasts.

Steel Grounds Café

Steel Grounds Café and their kiosk Steel Grounds Grab & Go sell food and beverages in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Run by Certified Social Enterprise Horizon Achievement Centre, they create skills and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.