Social enterprises Information

Buy Social Canada offers these enterprises a brighter spotlight on their efforts and a chance to grow. "There has been an overwhelming positive response from people at conferences we've been to and networks we've been communicating with," Common Good Solutions' Stephanie Pronk says. Since Buy Social Canada's official launch in April of this year, Atlantic Canada has seen 14 social enterprises apply for certification, with 12 now officially Buy Social certified. Suppliers achieve Buy Social certification if it's proven that the social mission of the organization is as and more important than the creation of revenue - and that at least 50 per cent of revenues are going back to serve the social mission of the organization. A Buy Social certificate and letter are presented to those that meet this criteria. All those certified also receive an opportunity to be highlighted through a Buy Social Atlantic Canada blog page. They also receive digital and non-digital branding materials, including Buy Social buttons created by an Atlantic Canada social enterprise that employs people who have a disability, Dartmouth Adult Services Centre. Additional supports and services are available to Buy Social members. The Atlantic Canada team is committing to provide services requested by each individual certified supplier, while continuing to assess how it might evolve its overall offerings going forward. "Some (members) are looking for specific buyers for a specific product, others are looking to connect for best practices within their community and others are interested in seeing what buyers are going to be looking for once they start connecting with them," Stephanie says. The intent is to continue to offer those individualized supports for now, as well as continually explore the energy around additional offerings, such as a workshop or trade show on procurement. "(The process) is very iterative at this point because we want to serve the needs in our region around procurement, and at this point we're not completely certain what those needs are," Stephanie says. Purchasers also have the opportunity to be Buy Social certified, providing them a way to signal their commitment to purchase from social enterprises. "The focus is less on certifying purchasers for what they do currently, and more on getting purchasers to commit to doing more of [social procurement]," Stephanie says. Patterned after the Buy Social initiative of Social Enterprise UK, Buy Social Canada was founded by Common Good Solutions, Accelerating Social Enterprise CCC Ltd., Open Door Ventures and Realize Co-op. To learn more about Buy Social Canada, click here. To read recent stories about the newest Buy Social certified social enterprises in Atlantic Canada, click here.