Consider social procurement

When buying for the Queensland Government, consider how you can adopt a purposeful public procurement approach by pursuing social procurement.

Social procurement is when buyers use their purchasing power to generate social value in addition to the goods and/or services they require.

Benefits

• Creates jobs through smarter procurement and targeted contracts
• Tackles complex local challenges
• Encourages fair and ethical trade
• Boosts social inclusion for vulnerable groups
• Expands supplier diversity by involving social benefit suppliers such as the social enterprises and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses

How to find social enterprises

A social enterprise is an organisation that:

• is led by an economic, social, cultural or environmental mission consistent with a public or community benefit
• trades to fulfil their mission and derive a substantial portion of their income from trade
• reinvest most of their profit/surplus into the fulfilment of their mission

The following social enterprise directories are recognised by the Queensland Government:

• Social Traders Social Enterprise Finder
• People and Planet First social enterprises directory via Queensland Social Enterprise Council directory.

How to find Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses

Under the Queensland Procurement Policy 2026, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business includes:

• Indigenous-owned businesses
• Indigenous not-for-profit organisations
• Queensland Indigenous local councils.

All, except Queensland Indigenous local councils, must be registered on at least one recognised Indigenous business directory.

You can find the definition of the various types of entities that constitute an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business in Part 4 Glossary of the Queensland Procurement Policy (QPP) 2026.

The following Indigenous business directories, are recognised by the Queensland Government:

• Black Business Finder
• Supply Nation Indigenous Business Directory
• Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations.

How to achieve social procurement

Some of the many effective ways to deliver social value when buying for government include:

• buy from Social Benefit Suppliers (this includes social enterprises, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses, and enterprises that support people with a disability)
• include social clauses in tenders and contracts—ask that a portion of work be completed by a Social Benefit Supplier or require mainstream suppliers to deliver social value such as employment opportunities for disadvantaged or marginalised jobseekers
• purchase fair trade products.

Understanding social procurement

This animated video highlights how there is always an opportunity for government buyers to undertake social procurement.

Watch

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