From Policy to Action: How Social Procurement Strengthens Canadian Communities

Procurement is more than just a transaction, it’s a powerful tool for change. When done with intention, it can support diverse businesses, promote equity, and uplift communities across Canada.

Social procurement directs your organization’s purchasing power toward suppliers that create measurable social value. That could mean working with women-owned businesses, Indigenous entrepreneurs, social enterprises, or local non-profits, each playing a role in fostering more inclusive, resilient economies.

In this article, we’ll break down the benefits, best practices, and key metrics of social procurement, along with real examples from organizations leading the way.

The Benefits of Social Procurement

Social procurement offers wide-reaching advantages. It contributes to:

• Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI): Builds more inclusive workplaces by supporting equity-deserving groups.
• Local Economic Development: Strengthens small businesses and keeps dollars circulating in communities.
• Workforce Development: Provides training and employment for people facing systemic barriers.
• Fair and Living Wages: Supports businesses committed to paying sustainable wages to employees and suppliers.
  

How to Support Social Procurement in Your Organization

Ready to take action? Here are three key steps to integrate social procurement into your operations:

1. 1. Buy from businesses that create social value.
      • These include:
        1. Diverse Suppliers (51%+ owned/managed by equity-deserving groups)
        2. Social enterprises
        3. Non-profits
        4. Certified B Corporations
        5. Community Contribution Companies (C3s)
        6. Local small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs)
   2. Build partnerships with purpose.
      • Look for suppliers that align with your values. Even if it’s not on their website, ask about their:
        1. Inclusive hiring practices
        2. Apprenticeship or training opportunities
        3. Community investment programs
        4. Local and social purchasing
        5. Charitable giving
      • Encourage all your vendors to demonstrate social value through practices like living wages or community benefit agreements.
   3. Expand your network.
      • Attend supplier engagement events or search directories from groups like the Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce or the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council.
      • Host “Doing Business with Us” webinars to demystify your procurement process for diverse suppliers.

Note: Equity-deserving groups may include racialized peoples, newcomers, people with disabilities, women, youth, 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals, veterans, and those facing poverty.

Measure the Impact: Metrics that Matter

Social procurement isn’t just good intentions, it’s a measurable strategy. Here are a few Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track:

How Reeve Consulting Helps Organizations Lead with Purpose

Creating a social procurement strategy starts with understanding where you are—and mapping out where you want to go. At Reeve Consulting, we help organizations do exactly that.

For example, when BCLC wanted to align their procurement practices with their newly adopted Social Purpose and sustainability goals, we helped them benchmark their current program and co-develop a multi-year implementation strategy. The result included a draft sustainable procurement policy, staff training plans, measurement tools, and early pilots—all designed to embed sustainability into procurement decisions long-term. Read more here…

Similarly, TransLink was ready to elevate its Supplier Diversity efforts. We supported them through a current state and gap analysis, created training resources, and led a staff workshop to kick-start more inclusive procurement practices. These efforts helped build internal capacity and align sourcing decisions with TransLink’s broader social impact goals. Read the full case study here…

Ready to get started?

For over 20 years, Reeve Consulting has supported public and private sector organizations in building more sustainable and socially responsible supply chains. Whether you’re refining your policy or building a strategy from scratch, we’re here to help.

Let’s create a procurement strategy that reflects your values—and drives real community impact.
Contact us today to learn more.