Buying from a social enterprise in Queensland just got easier
As published on QSEC 15 August
Givvable, People and Planet First (PPF), Queensland Social Enterprise Council (QSEC) and Local Buy announce a groundbreaking partnership to boost the visibility of verified social enterprises across the state.
This collaboration aims to enhance the visibility of verified social enterprises and their environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics in the procurement processes of corporate, local council, state government and federal government buyers through trusted procurement platform VendorPanel, and the Givvable platform.
“There’s a growing demand for businesses that put people and planet first, and this partnership allows verified social enterprises in Queensland to be seen by Government and Councils for the purposes of procurement – big and small, metro and in the regions”. – Adele Laughton, CEO of Queensland Social Enterprise Council
As a network of networks, People and Planet First was launched in October 2023 and works with more than 70 global partners to verify enterprises in more than 125 countries.
In May 2024, QSEC, alongside all state, territory and national social enterprise peak bodies, endorsed the People and Planet First global standards to identify social enterprises in Australia.
“Our collaboration with QSEC and givvable aligns perfectly with our mission to create more opportunities for the visibility of all enterprises that put people and planet before profit. PPF is a banner to unite all of these businesses, no matter the terminology they use in their local context. By working together, we can accelerate progress towards adopting sustainable procurement policies.” – Hina West, Global Impact Director for People and Planet First
Through this collaboration, People and Planet First verified social enterprises will benefit from:
- Enhanced visibility to corporate and government;
- Education and resources on ESG issues relevant to their industry, jurisdiction and/or size;
- A unique business profile with automated mapping to sustainability & ESG frameworks, standards and objectives.
Corporate and government buyers will benefit from:
- Identification in procurement processes of People and Planet First verified social enterprises;
- Access to People and Planet First verified social enterprises through Government’s procurement platform, VendorPanel; and
- Referral of suppliers to People and Planet First where their business profile suggests potential eligibility for the People and Planet First social enterprise verification program.
“As a mission-driven platform, givvable is thrilled to partner with QSEC and People and Planet First to increase visibility of PPF verified enterprises to corporate and government buyers globally.
Many organisations have aspirations to procure socially and sustainably but have been held back by difficulties in identifying and engaging with social enterprises, which are often SMEs, in their procurement processes.
A key goal of this partnership is to support the growth of the social enterprise sector and operationalise their impact in global supply chains. The accessibility of PPF’s social enterprise verification program to SMEs, as well as PPF and Good Market’s desire to promote visibility to corporate and government buyers through collaboration with givvable, sets the foundation for us to do just that.” – Frances Atkins, CEO of givvable
“Local Buy is pleased to announce an exciting enhancement to our local government procurement technology program through a new partnership with Givvable and QSEC. By integrating People and Planet First (PPF) as an additional social standard identified within the Local Buy-funded state-wide source-to-contract platform (VendorPanel), we continue to support our 77 Queensland councils with their social procurement objectives.” – Mike Waterland, General Manager of Local Buy.
“Our commitment to delivering the highest standards in procurement was recognised when we were honoured to win the annual CIPS Australia and New Zealand ‘Best Procurement Transformation Programme’ award in 2023 for our procurement technology program, and again in 2024 for our Local Buy Active Arrangements. Both industry-leading initiatives deliver vital procurement and efficiency benefits to our Queensland councils and our extensive pre-qualified supplier network.
As the peak procurement body for Queensland councils, these accolades underscore our dedication to innovation and effectiveness in procurement practices. The inclusion of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) identifiers within Local Buy’s supplier intelligence framework further exemplifies our mission to support councils in engaging with legislatively compliant pre-qualified suppliers, while also considering any available ESG insights to inform the purchasing decision and support ESG targets.” – Glen Duff, Director Procurement and Partnerships of Local Buy.
About Queensland Social Enterprise Council (QSEC)
QSEC is the peak body for social enterprise and purpose-led business in Queensland. We represent, support and advocate for the interests of social enterprises and social entrepreneurs to drive high social, cultural and environmental impact. For more information, visit www.qsec.org.au or contact hello@qsec.org.au
About givvable.com
givvable is a leading sustainability intelligence platform that empowers organisations to make informed decisions by tracking and assessing the sustainability credentials of suppliers and trading partners. Learn more at givvable.com. For more information, visit www.givvable.com or contact hello@givvable.com
About People and Planet First (PPF)
PPF is a network of impact networks dedicated to advancing social enterprise and sustainable business practices. Through its verification process and global partnerships, PPF promotes responsible business conduct and positive impact. PPF is stewarded by the Social Enterprise World Forum and was cocreated by a network of more than 35 impact networks from around the world. Learn more at www.peopleandplanetfirst.org For more information, contact verify@peopleandplanetfirst.org
About Local Buy
Local Buy helps meet legislative, reputation and compliance needs, simplifying the process by connecting organisations with pre-qualified local Queensland suppliers, big and small. This saves time and money and reduces an organisation’s need to tender, advertise and prepare contracts. For more information, visit www.localbuy.net.au or contact enquiry@localbuy.net.au