Building sustainable partnerships through social procurement
Strong relationships are at the heart of successful partnerships between contractors, subcontractors and Aboriginal owned businesses or social enterprises.
In order to foster strong partnerships, contractors need to have an understanding of social benefit suppliers, know how to engage with them effectively, and acknowledge the advantages of cultivating long-term relationships.
Understanding social benefit supplier operating models
Social benefit suppliers differ from commercial entities in many ways:
- social benefit suppliers may hold charitable status and can be owned by non-profits or commercial businesses
- they often balance revenue growth with a focus on impact
- their business models may require longer lead times to scale
- operating costs may be more complex due to direct and indirect costs supporting their social purpose.
Engaging with social benefit suppliers
Depending on your business and where you are on your social procurement journey, various approaches can help you build lasting relationships with social benefit suppliers across your supply chain.
Benefits of establishing long-term relationships
Investing in long-term relationships with social benefit suppliers can lead to several benefits:
