It’s the intentional purchase of goods and/or services, by organisations like New Zealand Post, that results in positive change. Social Procurement means using procurement as a tool to generate benefits beyond the goods and services required.
Business to Business (B2B) procurement offers the greatest untapped opportunity for social, cultural and environmental impact in NZ. By harnessing the combined purchasing power of New Zealand’s corporate and government Buyers, social procurement directs this spend towards impact through social enterprise Suppliers.
Social procurement is not about replacing your procurement systems and processes, it's about providing additional value.
Value for money is no longer just about price, quality and risk. It now considers broader social, cultural and environmental outcomes.
Social procurement is about ‘walking the talk’ in sustainability and provides a tool for organisations to be credible in their sustainability aspirations.
Social procurement is not about accepting a lower standard of delivery.
The suppliers still need to provide the right goods and services to meet your contractual requirements.
Think about value not price. Suppliers need to provide competitive market solutions to stay in business, with additional positive outcomes.
Suppliers often have a track record of innovation that can add real value to your business and supply chain.
Social procurement not only creates additional value through the delivery of goods and services. It also provides business outcomes such as improved engagement, brand identity and competitive advantage.
Since 2012, NZ Post and Ākina have worked together to support the growth of social enterprise in Aotearoa-NZ. In July 2017, the partnership evolved to create positive outcomes for Aotearoa-NZ through social procurement. fwd: continues our journey together.
The Social Enterprise Sector Development Programme is a three-year partnership between the Department of Internal Affairs and the Ākina Foundation.