The Victorian Government has established Victoria’s Social Procurement Framework. The Framework applies to all goods, services and construction procurement by the Victorian Government.
Who is a social benefit supplier?
Social benefit suppliers are Victorian suppliers that are:
- a social enterprise certified by Social Traders.
- an Australian Disability Enterprise listed with BuyAbility and providing ‘supported employment services’ in line with section 7 of the Disability Services Act 1986 (Commonwealth)
- an Aboriginal business verified by Supply Nation or Kinaway
On 30 June 2023, the map for impact was decommissioned. Being listed on the Map for Impact is no longer grounds to be considered a social enterprise under the Framework. Buyers are now required to find certified social enterprises through the Social Enterprise Finder.
A full description of social benefit suppliers is available at Social benefit suppliers.
How the Social Procurement Framework helps social benefit suppliers
The Social Procurement Framework provides business opportunities for social benefit suppliers. These opportunities help build the business as well as the skills of its employees.
There are 1000s of social benefit suppliers in Victoria.
More than 3,500 social enterprises contribute $5.2 billion to the economy. They have created 60,000 Victorian jobs.
There are more than 100 Australian Disability Enterprises. They offer skills, services and products to Government and private business. These range from packaging and hospitality to trades and administration.
Victoria has a large, diverse and growing Victorian Aboriginal business sector. The sector includes:
- for-profit businesses
- Traditional Owner Corporations
- social enterprises
- community enterprises
Land-based Aboriginal businesses, including Traditional Owner corporations, are active in several fields. This includes:
- primary production
- natural resource management
- ecosystem services
- cultural tourism
Business opportunities for social benefit suppliers occur through 2 broad approaches:
Direct approach
This is where a social benefit supplier contracts with the Government to provide goods, services, or construction. In this situation, these suppliers give the Government direct social value.
Indirect approach
This is where a mainstream supplier contracts with the Government to provide goods, services, or construction.
Mainstream suppliers might have special clauses in their contracts. These clauses ensure the suppliers give the Government social value.
A mainstream supplier might need to:
- subcontract work to a social benefit supplier
- employ priority jobseekers
- reduce its impact on the environment
In these situations, these suppliers give the Government indirect social value.
Where to find social benefit suppliers
Mainstream suppliers who are subcontracting social benefit suppliers need to know where to find them. There are many ways to find social benefit suppliers.
Kinaway and Supply Nation connect suppliers with Victorian Aboriginal businesses. They also verify Victorian Aboriginal businesses.
Social Traders(opens in a new window) connects suppliers with Victorian social enterprises. The Social Traders website provides information for organisations wishing to become certified as a social enterprise. Buyers can search for certified social enterprises using the Social Enterprise Finder(opens in a new window).
BuyAbility connects suppliers with Australian Disability Enterprises. Mainstream suppliers can find Australian Disability Enterprises using the BuyAbility Directory.
Social benefit suppliers wishing to raise their profile for business opportunities should consider becoming certified or verified. The Buying for Victoria website has further information about finding social benefit suppliers.
Support to meet social procurement requirements
For details on where suppliers can get support, visit Support for suppliers.
For more information about social procurement, contact the Social Procurement Team.
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