Resource Library

Aboriginal Carbon Foundation’s Karlantijpa North Savanna Burning Project: SEWF22 carbon offset programme

This document details how the Aboriginal Carbon Foundation will offset 74 tonnes of carbon (valued at $3364 – $3709) through The Karlantijpa North Savanna Burning Project. Carbon abatement with traditional controlled savanna burning methodologies will help reduce large scale forest fires in dry seasons for 3000 sq. km. of bushland.

Sustainable energy for institutions: SEWF22 carbon offset programme

This report highlights 3 of 5 institutions that are being equipped with Decentralised Renewable Energy (solar) solutions, with the support of the SEWF22 carbon offset programme. SELCO Foundation is offsetting 74 tonnes of carbon (valued at $3364 – $3709) by alleviating energy linked challenges for 5 institutions that serve over 250 people with disabilities (cognitive, physical, speech and hearing). The intervention will help maintain ongoing key services for the beneficiaries that range from dignified housing and health facilities to the facilitation of good quality education.

Buy Social Corporate Challenge (BSCC) – Year 6 Impact Report

The Year 6 Report looks back at the impact of this programme which has now seen £255 million collectively spent with social enterprise suppliers by Buy Social Corporate Challenge Partners.

More in common: The global state of social enterprise

This report, published by the British Council, draws on data and case studies in 27 countries that account for over 40 percent of the world’s population to begin to describe the size and characteristics of the global social enterprise sector.

Market Opportunities for Social Procurement

Designing Legal Frameworks for Social Enterprises

This project funded by the European Union, this manual explains the rationale behind legal frameworks for social enterprises, identifies the critical factors for legal framework design and recommends actions to ensure legislation fully meets the needs of social enterprises.

Social Procurement Guide

This guide, with the subtitle “A Roadmap for Reducing Inequalities, Involvement of Disadvantaged Groups in Public Procurements and Supply Chains” was produced by the International labour Organization Turkey office in collaboration with Innovation for Development (I4D). The guide focuses on ways cooperatives and social ventures can more effectively engage with public procurement.

Pacific prosperity through social enterprise report

The Pacific Prosperity Through Social Enterprise report is a joint Ministry of Social Development (MSD) and Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP) pilot initiative demonstrating the value of Pacific social enterprise in Aotearoa New Zealand. More information beyond the executive summary attached can be found on the report’s website.

Legal reform as a catalyst for social enterprise

This report from Catalyst 2030 focuses on international social enterprise law & policy and how legal and policy reform can accelerate the social enterprise movement.

Buy Social Scotland Corporate Challenge: Procurement for Good

Following the launch of the Buy Social Scotland Corporate Challenge in September 2021, Social Enterprise Scotland have released a new digital brochure which showcases, stories and inspiration to help businesses and organisations align their spending and social impact through partnerships with social enterprises.

The State of Social Procurement in Australia and New Zealand 2021

This report presents survey findings from 2021 that focus on: current social procurement practice, major drivers behind social value initiatives, challenges that organisations face, a look towards the future of social procurement and recommendations for policy.

No Going Back – UK State of Social Enterprise Survey 2021

This 2021 SEUK survey shows that in spite of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, social enterprises were delivering economically, environmentally and socially.

Malaysia’s Social Enterprise Accreditation Guidelines

The Social Enterprise Accreditation (SE.A) Guidelines document is a guide that outlines the definition of a social enterprise in Malaysia and explains the procedures and criteria involved in the accreditation process so social enterprises can access funding and market opportunities. This document is publicly available on MaGIC’s website.

SEUK – Buy Social Corporate Challenge – Year 5 Impact Report

Five years ago the Buy Social Corporate Challenge was launched in Downing Street, with
seven founding corporate partners committing to open up their supply chains to social
enterprises. The Year 5 Report looks back at the impact of the Corporate Challenge, from
how much money has been spent with social enterprises to what this spend has helped
achieve. It also looks at how working with social enterprises has affected the corporates
involved.

Exploring Community Wealth Building Through Social Procurement in Ontario — Final Report

This report recaps a five-part knowledge series that examined the Ontario social procurement ecosystem – social enterprises as suppliers, social value purchasers and the construction sector generating demand, and how community is re-defining wealth and driving social value outcomes.

Moving Worlds Guide to Growing and Scaling your Social Enterprise

This is a summary page of a more complete guide developed by Moving Worlds on growing and scaling social enterprises. The complete guide can be found on their website here.

Social procurement case study: Māori enterprises

This case study published by Te Puni Kōkiri, the New Zealand Government’s principal policy advisor on Māori wellbeing and development, can also be found on their website here.

Social Procurement Video Course

By setting up a quick account with Social Traders, social enterprises can access this video course, which provides an introduction to social procurement.

New Zealand Government Procurement Rules

This document outlines New Zealand’s Procurement Rules as part of their strategy for sustainable and inclusive procurement. Rule 16 on page 33 of this document is of particular relevance for social procurement.

Case Study: Social Procurement in Australia

A case study from Social Traders in Australia featuring DM Roads.

Leveraging social procurement to create change – Event recording

This event was part of Catalyst 2030’s Catalysing Change week at the beginning of May 2021. SEWF Managing Director Gerry Higgins participated as a panellist, along with Alexandra Tarmo  from Unilever and Alexandra van der Ploeg from SAP.

Buy Social Canada Trainings

This document provides an overview of various trainings provided by Buy Social Canada for social procurement purchasers.

S-GRID Training Programme Information

Moving Worlds provides a free training programme to social enterprises at various stages in their journey to impact. Learn more about the programme, by reading this document or visiting the website.

Social Procurement Policy Examples in South East and East Asia

This document, complied by Biji-Biji in Malaysia, provides an overview of social procurement policies across East and South East Asia.

Roadmap for Impact

The final report for the Impact Initiative in New Zealand including 15 government recommendations designed to accelerate the development of New Zealand’s social enterprises.

Strengthening Government Procurement: A White Paper

This report details recommendations around public sector social procurement as part of the Impact Initiative: a three-year partnership between the Department of Internal Affairs, on behalf of the New Zealand Government, and the Ākina Foundation to deliver the Social Enterprise Sector Development Programme.

The Impact Initiative Summary Book

Learn more about the 5 key recommendations for government policy that emerged out of a three year partnership with the Ākina Foundation in New Zealand and the federal government through The Social Enterprise Sector Development Programme.

Buy Social Canada Guide to Social Procurement in Construction and Infrastructure Projects

In the Guide to Social Procurement in Construction and Infrastructure Projects Buy Social Canada outlines a path to increase the success of construction-based social procurement.

Ākina Foundation Social Procurement Video Tools

This document highlights three videos on social procurement developed by the Ākina Foundation in New Zealand. There is a video for social enterprises, one for public sector and another for small businesses.

Social Procurement Readiness Checklist for Social Enterprises

Developed by the Ākina Foundation as part of their toolkit for social enterprise resources, this tool is a checklist designed for social enterprises to work through and identify which areas of their organisation they may need to work on, in order to be prepared for a procurement, tender or large contract process.

Guide: Intro to Social Procurement for Suppliers

This tool is a guide designed for you to use as an introduction to the social procurement world for social enterprise suppliers developed as part of the Impact Initiative’s Toolkit. It is a useful reference for the terminology, definitions and phrasing used in the social procurement space.

Social Traders 3 Year Impact Report

In the first three years of connecting Certified Social Enterprises with Business and Government Members, Social Traders saw many encouraging outcomes including $222m from Business and Government members spent with Certified Social Enterprises. Read more about other metrics used to measure the impact of social procurement in Australia

Buy Social Canada Trade Agreement Primer

This primer from Buy Social Canada provides a brief review of the key trade agreements in Canada that influence government procurement discretion, and how they affect social purchasing.

Progressive Procurement: Buyers’ factsheet

This factsheet details New Zealand’s Progressive Procurement Policy where Government agencies must increase the diversity of their suppliers, initially by focusing on Māori businesses. Learn more here.

Community Benefit Agreements: Templates for implementation

This resource from Buy Social Canada will help you design, evaluate and implement a social value into your procurement process for goods and services or major infrastructure and developments. If used, Buy Social Canada must be credited.

Social Enterprises as Influencers of the Broader Business Community

A report from SENL on how social enterprises can lead the way toward a new economy.

Leaders on the Front Line: Why Social Entrepreneurs Are Needed Now More than Ever

The COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurs was launched in April 2020 by 60 leading social-sector organizations aiming to help mobilise support and raise awareness of the vital role these entrepreneurs play in tackling the crisis and beyond. SEWF is proud to be a member of the Alliance, advocating for the ways in which social enterprises have championed COVID-19 response, recovery and rebuilding efforts

Transforming Wales through Social Enterprise: 10-Year Vision and Action Plan

Outlines the potential of social enterprise to address the climate crisis and help rebuild in the wake of COVID-19.

Community Employment Benefit: Templates for implementation

This Buy Social Canada resource can help you design, evaluate and implement a social value into your procurement process for goods and services or major infrastructure and developments for projects. If used, Buy Social Canada must be credited.

COVID-19 and the Impact on Social Enterprises in Wales

The report identifies the following social enterprise responses: survival, hibernation, diversification, transformation and collaboration.

Roadmap to Recovery and Regeneration post COVID-19

This research report from the Yunus Centre at Griffith University in Australia outlines a few approaches communities may want to explore as we begin recovery and rebuilding.

Building New Zealand’s Impact Economy

The report includes plans for economic recovery post lockdown that addresses poverty, inequality and climate change.

Social Procurement Checklist for Social Enterprises

Developed by Social Traders in Australia, this checklist will help social enterprises consider how to start engaging with social procurement and how to win more work.

Social Enterprise and COVID-19

This report from SEUK explains findings on the specific needs of UK social enterprises and how they were responding to COVID-19.

COVID-19 and Social Enterprise in Scotland

This report highlights the impact of COVID-19 on 250 SES members and includes data from Scotland’s census and Third Sector Resilience Fund.

Social Procurement: Social Enterprise Benefits

This document from Social Traders in Australia outlines some of the benefits social enterprises can receive by working with intermediary organisations (if they exist in the country/context) to help access social procurement opportunities.

Social Traders Certification Checklist

This resource is designed for social enterprises (in Australia although it has global relevance) to help them understand the process of becoming certified as social enterprises by Social Traders.

Analyzing the Success Factors of Best Practices in the Korean Social Economy

This report from the Korea Social Enterprise Promotion Agency examines 10 social economy enterprises, provides recommendations to continue developing Korea’s social economy.

Social Enterprise in Scotland – Census 2019

This census is used to inform policy and Scotland’s social enterprise action plans. The 2015, 2017, and 2019 Census documents and their summaries can be found here.

Queensland Social Enterprise Strategy

Focused on three key areas: building capability and capacity, making connections, and improving market access.

National Social Enterprise Policy for Ireland

Based on 3 pillars: building awareness of social enterprise, growing and strengthening social enterprise and achieving better policy alignment.

Thailand Social Enterprise Promotion Act

National law for social enterprise in Thailand that established the Social Enterprise Promotion Office. Note: this document is only available in Thai. Learn about earlier legislation including tax exemptions here.

Buy Social Canada Guide to Social Procurement

This Buy Social Canada guidebook is an introduction to the why, what and how of social procurement in Canada.

Hidden Revolution – Size and Scale of Social Enterprise in UK

The report shows that 100,000 social enterprises employ 2 million people and contribute £60 billion to (3% of) UK GDP.

Glasgow City Social Enterprise Strategy

Example of a municipal level strategy that complements an overarching national strategy.

Québec Social Economy Act

The Act recognises the historic contribution of social economy enterprises to the province and commits to develop an action plan to support the sector.

Newfoundland and Labrador Social Enterprise Strategy

This Social Enterprise Action Plan aims to support the development, expansion and enhancement of social enterprises.

Early Opportunities: Cooperation Between Social Enterprises and Municipalities in the Netherlands

This report explores the ways municipalities can more effectively encourage the development of social enterprises.

Social Enterprise Mapping Project – Victoria, Australia

Commissioned as part Victoria’s Social Enterprise Strategy, this report provides the first baseline analysis of social enterprises in the state, focusing on size, characteristics and impacts.

Social Enterprise Eco-systems in South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation Countries

This study analyses the SE landscape and related ecosystems of seven SAARC countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The State of Social Enterprise in Singapore

The report presents findings developed from surveys of social enterprises, other key stakeholders and the results of two public perception studies on social enterprise.

Mapping the Social Business Sector in Wales

This report describes the social business sector in Wales following a survey of almost half (48%) of the businesses operating in the sector.

Nova Scotia Social Enterprise Sector Strategy 2017

This strategy concretely supports the official Framework for Advancing Social Enterprise in Nova Scotia.

Nova Scotia’s Social Enterprise Framework

This Framework supports Nova Scotia’s vision for vibrant communities where individuals do not have to decide between doing business and helping people.

Scotland’s first 3-Year Social Enterprise Action Plan

Outlines actions around 3 priorities: stimulating social enterprise, developing stronger organisations and realizing market opportunity.

Victoria State Government Social Enterprise Strategy

This strategy supports sector growth and diversity to facilitate the key role social enterprise plays in building social cohesion in Victoria.

Internationalising Social Enterprise in Scotland

This co-produced document sets out the Scottish Government’s ambitions for international excellence, leadership and impact in the social enterprise field.

Scotland’s Ten Year Social Enterprise Strategy

Perhaps the first national strategy co-produced in this manner, it positions social enterprise within Scotland’s Economic Strategy.

Québec’s Social Economy Action Plan

The Action Plan is only available in French. It recognises the specific contribution of the social economy to the socio-economic development of Québec.

Manitoba’s Social Enterprise Strategy

This co-constructed strategy aims to grow the sector and create more jobs, noting the value and opportunity presented by social enterprise.

Scotland’s Procurement Reform Act

This legislation addresses procurement for public bodies/organisations including procedures for awarding public contracts and sustainability requirements.

Exploring Social Procurement in Canada Report

This report outlines key recommendations for both suppliers and purchasers interested in social procurement.

EU Public Procurement Directive

Corporate Social Procurement in Australia

his report highlights the corporate social procurement experience with employment-focused social enterprises.

United Kingdom Social Value Act

This law encourages those in commissioning, operational and policymaking roles to consider social value in their specifications for services.

Pacific Island Communities and Social Enterprise

This discussion paper was commissioned to help better understand the role social enterprise could play in creating better social and economic outcomes for Pacific people.

Finding Australia’s Social Enterprise Sector

This report documents the characteristics of Australian social enterprises and explores the opportunities and challenges they face.

Stop Trashing the Climate

Co-authored by Eric Lombardi – one of SEWF’s Associates – this report is details the connection between waste and climate and begins to explore what the social enterprise movement can bring to help address the climate emergency.