Vision paper public procurement

Public procurement offers enormous opportunities to increase social impact. It should be the policy tool for the impact economy, where the central value is social value rather than shareholder value. Social entrepreneurs are leading the way in this. The central government also recognizes this role for social enterprises in the National Plan for Socially Responsible Purchasing 2021-2025: 

“At the same time, it is also good to notice that there are more and more companies in the Netherlands with social ambitions, which have really made Corporate Social Responsibility part of the core of their business. A good example of this are the thousands of social enterprises in the Netherlands. They are putting their social mission first and, in doing so, are giving concrete substance to the social ambitions of governments.”

Our vision on public procurement
In Public procurement: Still a world to win we elaborate on our vision for sustainable and social procurement. Click here to read the vision paper. The paper includes:

• A commentary on public procurement as an effective policy tool for a better world;
• A problem analysis;
• A blueprint for a sustainable and social procurement policy;
• Concrete policy proposals to accelerate the transition to sustainable and social public procurement.

Intensify our lobbying efforts
In collaboration with Impact door Groei, a program of FNO Zorg voor Kansen, the next two years we put extra effort into:

• Municipal elections 2026 - put Socially Responsible Contracting and Purchasing on the agenda in the run-up to the municipal elections. This includes drafting and distributing a model motion around Socially Responsible Contracting and Purchasing to activate municipal councils.
• Teaming up with experts - Working with stakeholders such as Pianoo, Nevi and the City Deal Impact Entrepreneurship to support contracting authorities in implementing Socially Responsible Contracting and Purchasing. To this end, we are mapping out which contracting authorities have signed the manifesto and who has drawn up an additional action plan.
• Political support building - Involve parliamentarians and increase support for sustainable and social procurement. For this, we will prepare a stakeholder analysis and actively seek connections with relevant parliamentarians.

We are fully transparent in our lobbying around public procurement and will communicate regularly on progress.

Join us!
Would you like to contribute to a sustainable and social procurement practice? Or discuss our vision further? Please contact Jorien via jorien@social-enterprise.nl.