Detailed guidance for sustainable Victorian social enterprise and Aboriginal business sectors

Find model approaches and further information in relation to opportunities for sustainable Victorian social enterprise and Aboriginal business sectors.

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Introduction

Sustainable Victorian social enterprise and Aboriginal business sectors is one of seven social procurement objectives included in the Social Procurement Framework.

Corresponding social outcomes

The Social Procurement Framework identifies one social outcome corresponding to this social procurement objective:

Purchasing from Victorian social enterprises and Aboriginal businesses.

Individual procurement activity requirements for government buyers (Table 3 of the Social Procurement Framework) recommends the following actions:

  • for individual procurement activities valued below $1 million (regional) or $3 million (metro or State-wide) (exclusive of GST), government buyers seek opportunities to directly or indirectly procure from Victorian social enterprises or Aboriginal businesses
  • for individual procurement activities valued at or above $1 million (regional) or $3 million (metro or State-wide) up to $20 million (exclusive of GST), government buyers consider whether part of the procurement can be unbundled for delivery from Victorian social enterprises or Aboriginal businesses
  • for individual procurement activities valued at or above $20 million (exclusive of GST), government buyers set targets for supplier expenditure with Victorian social enterprises or Aboriginal businesses and ask suppliers to demonstrate how they will meet such targets

Purchasing from Victorian social enterprises and Aboriginal businesses

Benefits for Victorians

Victorian social enterprises and Aboriginal businesses play an important role in driving employment participation and inclusive economic growth.

The Victorian Government recognises that:

In relation to social enterprises:

  • The Map for Impact Report (November 2017) found that Victoria’s social enterprise sector is a significant contributor to the Victorian economy, creating jobs for over 60,000 people (equating to approximately 35,000 full-time equivalent jobs)
  • Over 30% of social enterprise workers are from cohorts that face particular challenges in gaining mainstream employment, such as people with a disability, Indigenous Australians and long-term unemployed people

In relation to Aboriginal businesses:

  • Victorian Aboriginal people, organisations and businesses already make valuable contributions to Victoria's diverse economy
  • the Victorian Aboriginal business sector is large, diverse and includes for-profit businesses, social enterprises and community enterprises
  • Aboriginal economic development is vital to growing Victoria's wealth generally and to increasing overall economic productivity and competitive advantage
  • Aboriginal economic participation and development is also a vital foundation for self-determination

Improving the visibility and networks of Aboriginal businesses is a strategic priority of Tharamba Bugheen – Victorian Aboriginal Business Strategy 2017-2021.

The Victorian Government has set a target of one per cent of government procurement from small to medium enterprises to be from Aboriginal businesses. This target is to be achieved by 2019-2020.

Model approach for government buyers

There are 2 model approaches to delivering this outcome:

  • Direct approach to social procurement – selectively target Victorian Aboriginal businesses or social enterprises or, alternatively, ensure that they are included in any market approach.

AND/OR

  • Indirect approach to social procurement – require mainstream suppliers to include Victorian Aboriginal businesses or social enterprises within their supply chain (for example, by way of sub-contracting).

Where appropriate, government buyers may also require suppliers to evidence their status, or the status of suppliers in their supply chain, as a Victorian Aboriginal business or social enterprise.

Response schedules

The response schedules related to opportunities for Sustainable Victorian social enterprise and Aboriginal business sectors are available on the Social procurement toolkit.

Further information for buyers

See further information provided in relation to Purchasing from Aboriginal businesses and Purchasing from Victorian social enterprises and Australian Disability Enterprises to help government buyers identify Victorian Aboriginal businesses and social enterprises, respectively.

Tools and support

This content on this page is taken from the Social Procurement Framework – Buyer Guidance Guide to individual procurement activity requirements. Access a PDF version in the social procurement document library.

For more information about social procurement, please contact the Social Procurement team.

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