In 2023, we're splitting our usual Annual Symposium up into a two-part online series exploring the marketplace impacts of social procurement and social enterprise in Canada.

Join us for part one, Marketplace Impact: A National Conversation on Social Procurement, on:

This will be a free, engaging event to learn about social procurement and new research in the sector, and network with peers.

Register now.

Join us in person for the Toronto Social Value Trade Show on May 10!

This free event will be a chance for purchasers from the construction sector to meet with our network of Certified Social Enterprises and social value suppliers. The Social Value Trade Show is an opportunity to meet with organizations interested in implementing social procurement and those that can help you meet your organizational social and sustainable goals.

Let us know you'll be there.

The tourism sector is taking a leadership role in advancing social procurement to create heathy, vibrant communities. One organization championing this movement is Destination Vancouver, a Buy Social Canada Social Purchasing Partner.

As more key players champion the movement to create healthy, vibrant communities through buying and selling with impact, we’re excited to see the transformative outcomes the tourism sector will create.

Read the blog post to learn more.

We've got two newly scheduled cohorts of the Social Procurement Professional Certificate training course!

Public and private sector purchasers, join a cohort of the Social Procurement Professional Certificate course to gain in-depth knowledge of the fundamental components of social procurement success from development to implementation.

June 2023: June 6, 13, 20 and 27, 2023

September 2023: September 7, 14, 21 and 28, 2023

More details or register now.

We are pleased to welcome Jacobs as a Social Purchasing Partner. Jacobs believes in working to make the world smarter, more connected and more sustainable to reflect their values of doing things right and living inclusion.

We will work with Jacobs to live out these values through implementing social procurement to buy with impact: providing team learning and understanding of social procurement, assessing supply chain opportunities, and connecting with social enterprises.

The next Vancouver Social Procurement Roundtable while be held in-person on:

Anyone interested in attending please RSVP.

This will be a space to connect and network with social enterprises and potential purchasers from the greater Vancouver area.

Purchasing Power is a speaker series featuring experts who are putting the principles of a social value marketplace into action, hosted by the British Columbia Social Procurement Initiative (BCSPI).

Join us for the final event of the 2022/23 season:

With speakers:

Mathew Coady (SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd.), Brendan Woodruff (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation), and Darrin B Derosia (New York State Office of General Services).

Buy Social Canada Certified Social Enterprises: We want to celebrate you, increase recognition of the impacts you are making through your work, and share updates on the current state of the social enterprise sector in Canada. To do this, we'll be sharing a survey with you to learn more. The results from the survey will be analyzed and compiled into a report which will be shared in Fall 2023 at a virtual public event.

Stay tuned for emails with more information and a link to fill out the survey. Any questions in advance? Don't hesitate to reach out.

Created by the Azrieli Foundation, the INfinity Prize is the first competitive award to recognize Canadian social enterprises that employ people who

are neurodivergent.

The INfinity Prize is open to small- or mid-sized social enterprises in Canada that prioritize the needs of neurodivergent employees by giving them career development opportunities in the competitive labour market, providing them with fair wages and benefits, and placing them at the centre of decision-making.

In addition to the cash award, the prize winner will receive up to two years of professional coaching and support from the Azrieli Foundation.

Learn more, applications are due by May 19, 2023.

In this small-group webinar series hosted by The Centre for Social Enterprise Development (CSED), take a deep dive into the strategic business functions that are most relevant to social entrepreneurs and social enterprise practitioners.

Combining practical instruction with open group dialogue, each 2-hour webinar explores the core concepts, frameworks and approaches that will help move your social enterprise/social purpose business from strategy to action. The series is designed to appeal to both experienced social entrepreneurs as well as more junior practitioners looking to develop their understanding in a particular area.

The next scheduled webinar on Marketing Strategy is on April 11, and the series runs until June 2023.

Register free now, limited space available.

We loved meeting community, public sector and private sector members last month to share information about social procurement and connect purpose driven purchasers with social value suppliers, building relationships to generate positive impact for communities in Edmonton.

Thanks to all who joined, and to our co-hosts AB Seed, MacEwan University Social Innovation Institute and End Poverty Edmonton.

FortWhyte Farms is a social enterprise within FortWhyte Alive, an old mining/gravel pit that has been converted to an outdoor recreation space just outside the City of Winnipeg. They create learning and employment opportunities for youth, and grow healthy food for their community, offering hands on learning on the farm and in a commercial kitchen, as well as a paid summer employment program for youth.

The Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre is a space designed to share meaningful experiences, educate visitors, and uplift the distinct Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Líl̓wat7úl cultures.

They run three social enterprises: a gift shop, the Thunderbird Cafe, and an event space.

Spruce Catering, Buffalo Stone Cafe, Sleepy Owl Bread are three food social enterprises run by Diversity Food Services in Manitoba.

They practice sustainably responsible food sourcing and preparation methods and provide meaningful employment and career development for individuals traditionally marginalized in our economy, including those with cognitive/physical disabilities, new immigrants/refugees, Indigenous peoples, individuals residing in inner city low-income households, people exiting the justice system, members of the LGBTQQIP2SAA* community and food insecure students.