Introduction

A Guide to Social Procurement

This guidebook is an introduction to the why, what, and how of social procurement in Canada. It was developed by Buy Social Canada for several audiences: organizations taking the necessary […]

Implementation, Introduction

Guide to Social Enterprise: Plan, sustain and grow your impact with a social enterprise business plan

Social enterprise is the business model of the future. The Guide to Social Enterprise will support you to plan, sustain or grow your social enterprise activity and impact. Who the […]

Implementation

Community Benefits in Construction: Mandate, Design and Implement Guide

Construction projects influence our communities beyond the physical structures they build. They also impact local economies and labour markets, whether intended or not. If these impacts are considered with positive […]

Implementation, Introduction

Sell with Impact: Buy Social Canada Social Enterprise Snapshot 2023

Social enterprise is a powerful business model to tackle the challenges our economy and communities are facing today. Buy Social Canada sees the movement for social enterprise growing steadily as […]

Implementation

Buy with Impact 2023 Snapshot

The progress of social procurement across Canada is unprecedented and encouraging. People and organizations are working together to add value to procurement in multiple ways; through social procurement, Indigenous procurement, […]

Introduction

Sell with Impact: Stories and Research from the Canadian Social Enterprise Sector

Social enterprises sell goods and services and reinvest their profits into their social, environmental or cultural mission. New research from Buy Social Canada busts myths about social enterprises and shows […]

Implementation, Introduction

Guide to Social Procurement in Tourism, Hospitality and Events

Every purchase has an economic, environmental, cultural and social impact, whether intended or not. Social procurement is about capturing those impacts and seeking to make intentional positive contributions to both […]

Implementation

Self-Attestation: Removing Barriers to Diversity in Supply Chains

New research from AnchorTO and Buy Social Canada explores methods to increase supplier diversity. Increased inclusion of diverse-owned and social enterprise suppliers is critical for social procurement success. To support […]

Implementation, Introduction

Using the Power of Purchasing: A Simple Guide to Co-op Procurement

In partnership with Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada, we’re happy to share “Using the Power of Purchasing: A Simple Guide to Co-op Procurement.” This guide provides you with the concepts and process […]

Implementation, Introduction

Utiliser le pouvoir d’achat: Un guide simple pour l’approvisionnement coopératif (Français)

En partenariat avec Coopératives et mutuelles Canada, nous sommes fiers de lancer le document « Utiliser le pouvoir d’achat : Un guide simple pour l’approvisionnement auprès des coopératives ». Ce guide […]

Implementation, Introduction

Buy with Impact: Social Procurement in Canada 2022 Report

The progress of social procurement across Canada is unprecedented and encouraging. People and organizations are working together to add value to procurement in multiple ways; through Indigenous procurement, sustainable procurement, […]

Introduction

Social Procurement Myths and Facts

There are several common myths about social procurement. Read this PDF to get the facts, and resources for further learning.

Implementation

Destination Vancouver Tourism, Hospitality and Events Social Procurement Survey and Report 2022

Buy Social Canada was contracted by Destination Vancouver to produce this survey and report, with the goal of identifying across Destination Vancouver’s membership the current number of organizations that identify […]

Implementation

Social Value Menu for Goods & Services

This Social Value Menu will help you design, evaluate and implement the inclusion of a social value into your procurement process. If you are purchasing goods and services for businesses, […]

Implementation, Introduction

Voices of Industry: A Paradigm Shift in CBAs

Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs) have seen a variety of construction industry responses, including an initial sector pushback to perceived issues of added costs and implementation inefficiencies. At the same time, […]

Implementation

Trade Agreements Local Briefing Note

A frequently asked question by organizations beholden to the trade agreements for certain procurements is “Can you include questions about, or requirements for, local employment or procurement where the trade […]

Implementation, Introduction

Training: Social Procurement Professional Certificate

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.

Implementation

City of Calgary Social Procurement Case Study

This case study details the process Buy Social Canada took in collaboration with the City of Calgary to add social value considerations to their Sustainable, Environmental & Ethical Procurement Policy […]

Introduction

Guide sur l’approvisionnement social (Français)

Ce guide présente brièvement la raison d’être de l’approvissionnement social au Canada, son objet et sa mise en œuvre. Il s’adresse à plusieurs auditoires : les organismes qui prennent les mesures […]

Implementation

Trade Agreements Primer

This primer provides a brief review of the key trade agreements that influence government procurement discretion, and how they affect social purchasing.

Implementation, Introduction

Construction and Infrastructure Guide to Social Procurement

In the Guide to Social Procurement in Construction and Infrastructure Projects we outline a path to increase the success of construction-based social procurement. The same process and guidelines in this […]

Introduction

Social Enterprise Spotlight: Building Up (Video)

Video story about a certified social enterprise Building Up. They provide high quality work to customers, while providing long-term career pathways for motivated community members.

Introduction

Exploring Community Wealth Building Through Social Procurement in Ontario — Final Report

Implementation

Social Value Menu – Community Employment Benefit Templates for Implementation

The Social Value Menu (CEB) will help you design, evaluate and implement a social value into your procurement process for goods and services or major infrastructure and developments for projects […]

Implementation

Social Value Menu – Community Benefit Agreements Templates for Implementation

The Social Value Menu (CBA) will help you design, evaluate and implement a social value into your procurement process for goods and services or major infrastructure and developments.

Introduction

Training: Social Procurement Introduction

This training is an introduction to social procurement covering the why, what and how including the evolution of social procurement, key concepts and best practice examples.

Implementation

Training: Social Procurement Implementation

This training introduces the key steps to take social procurement from a concept to an implemented practice. Topics covered include policy and goal alignment, opportunity identification processes, drafting social value […]

Implementation

Training: Social Procurement in Construction

Participants learn about the concepts of community benefit agreements (CBA) and an overview of the steps to integrate into the design, build and operations phases of development projects.

Introduction

Community Benefit Agreement (Video)

Learn about a CBA (Community Benefit Agreement)

Introduction

Marketplace Revolution by David LePage

It’s time to transcend the dogma and practices of extraction economics that result in social exclusion and income inequality. It’s time for social enterprise, social procurement, and social value finance […]

Introduction

Supplier Guide to Social Procurement

The Supplier Guide flips the perspective of the existing demand-side Guide to Social Procurement to the supply-side. Following the social procurement user journey of Learn, Identify Opportunities, Discover, Respond and […]

Implementation, Introduction

Training: Procurement for Social Value Suppliers

Reach your procurement potential. At the end of this four-week, in-depth training you will finish the program with foundational tools to bid for contracts. Topics that will be covered include […]

Implementation, Introduction

Training: Storytelling for Social Value Suppliers

Become an impactful storyteller. This three-part, hands-on training will delve into the art and importance of storytelling through the unique lens of social value suppliers.

Introduction

The History of Social Enterprise (Video)

Learn the dynamic history of how social enterprise came to be.

Introduction

Social Enterprise Spotlight: Hives For Humanity (Video)

Hives for Humanity is a certified social enterprise in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. They create flexible opportunities that support at-risk populations of people and pollinators. Some of these activities […]

Introduction

Social Enterprise Spotlight: Infiniguard (Video)

Infiniguard is a security company that operates as a social enterprise based in Regent Park. They provide Free training and high-wage employment to at-risk youth, women and new immigrants. InfiniGuard […]

Introduction

Social Enterprise Spotlight: SmartICE (Video)

Video story about a certified social enterprise SmartICE. SmartICE is committed to positive change and social innovation in the northern communities they serve.

Introduction

Social Enterprise Spotlight: Mother Earth Reycling (Video)

Video story about a certified social enterprise Mother Earth Recycling. MER is an Indigenous owned & operated social enterprise in Winnipeg. They provide meaningful training and employment opportunities with a […]

Introduction

Social Enterprise Spotlight: Redemptive Developments (Video)

Video story about a certified social enterprise Redemptive Developments based in Alberta. They offer a diverse and growing social enterprise portfolio, which is constantly evolving.

Introduction

Social Enterprise Spotlight: The Binners’ Project (Video)

Video story about a certified social enterprise The Binners’ Project. They offer a services that aim with; social inclusion, waste-diversion and economic development.

Introduction

Social Procurement creates best value for COVID-19 recovery (Video)

COVID-19 has affected the marketplace in a big way, but how can social procurement be a solution to build back better?

Implementation

Buy Social Canada Social Procurement Policy

This Policy confirms Buy Social Canada’s commitment to building community capital through our procurement of goods and services.

Introduction

Downtown Eastside Social Enterprise Impact Report

Our survey of 40 social enterprises in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside documented $26.5m in sales with $18.4m in wages. These enterprises have created over 2800 jobs, with 55% of full-time and […]

Introduction

Exploring Social Procurement

Exploring Social Procurement examines an innovative market-based opportunity to create social impact through existing purchasing.

Implementation

Buy Social Canada Summit Report

This report is based on information shared at the Buy Social Canada Summit in 2017. The four main themes of the Summit were: Government Social Procurement, Infrastructure and Community Benefit […]

Implementation

Embers Staffing Solutions Story

This Buy Social Canada social procurement case study highlights how a community benefit agreement (CBA) can be leveraged to create employment opportunities and social impact on infrastructure projects.

Implementation

Manitoba Housing Story

This Buy Social Canada social procurement case study highlights how government crown corporation can leverage its buying dollars to create employment opportunities for community members with barriers.

Implementation

Montreal Story: L’économie sociale, j’achète (Français)

This Buy Social Canada social procurement case study demonstrates the importance of focusing both on supply and demand, while using an intermediary to build relationships between the two.

Implementation

Histoire de logement Manitoba (Français)

Une histoire qui détaille la relation entre le gouvernment et une entreprise et comment cette relation crée des travails.

Implementation

The Ottawa Housing Story

This Buy Social Canada social procurement case study highlights how a pilot project using discretionary funding allowed a social enterprise to scale and thrive.

Implementation

Histoire de logement Ottawa (Français)

Une histoire de la relation entre la Province et une entreprise sociale. Un rapport sur le rendement social des investissement (RSI) conclut que pour chaque dollar investi, une valeur sociale […]

Implementation

Eva’s Print Shop Story

This Buy Social Canada social procurement case study highlights how partnerships between corporations and social enterprises, such as this print shop, can provide employment opportunities for homeless and at-risk youth.

Introduction

Social Purchasing Tool Overview

This presentation provides an overview of Ethelo, the social purchasingdecision-making tool that supports social purchasing policy design,criteria selection, and vendor bid review.