Every purchase has an economic, cultural, environmental, and social impact, whether intended or not. Social procurement captures those impacts and seeks to make intentional positive contributions to both the local economy and the overall vibrancy of the community.

At Buy Social Canada, we believe in building community capital: healthy communities that are rich in human, social, cultural, environmental and economic capital. We are redefining how goods and services are bought and sold. By building relationships between social suppliers and purchasers, Buy Social Canada is leading the movement for community capital creators across the country.

Walk the talk on social procurement

Buy Social Canada implements social procurement by purchasing our goods and services from social enterprises whenever possible.

As outlined in our Social Procurement Policy, when a social enterprise is not available to provide the good or service, we will use a concentric circle approach to look at the social, cultural, and environmental value of other available organizations, such as social co-operatives, local independent businesses, Indigenous businesses, and diverse-owned businesses. This includes looking at the organization’s employment practices and their own supply chains.

Our 2024 social procurement spend

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.

In addition to supporting improved implementation, reporting on social procurement spend also increases your organizational transparency and accountability, which can strengthen relationships and reputation with internal and external stakeholders.

Our social procurement spend by the numbers

In 2024, $82,643.94 of Buy Social Canada addressable spend went to social enterprises and other social value suppliers. This dollar amount equals to 31.2% of our addressable spend in 2024.

16.7% of our addressable spend went to social enterprises. 14.5% went to other social value suppliers, including small local businesses, Indigenous businesses, diverse-owned businesses, co-operatives and non-profits.

Some of the things we purchased from these suppliers include:

• Extended health benefits from Certified Social Enterprise GreenShield
• Office space and administrative support from Certified Social Enterprise Realize Solutions
• Food and catering from a range of Certified Social Enterprises including DICED Culinary
• Social enterprise hotels including YWCA Hotel Vancouver and Skwachays Lodge for team travel

When you purchase from social enterprise you support healthy, vibrant communities to create inclusive employment opportunities, re-invest into community impact, divert waste, and so much more. See our 2023 Sell with Impact Snapshot for data and stories showcasing the impact of social enterprise, and find Certified Social Enterprises to purchase from in our national directory.

Buy Social Canada is proud to support social enterprises through our procurement in addition to our work as a national supplier council and third-party certifier of social enterprises in Canada.

We commit to continued social procurement that prioritizes social enterprises wherever possible and we encourage you to track and share your spend!