Social value for businesses at expo

AN event designed to help Bendigo businesses reach their social procurement goals will be held for the first time in the city.

The Social Procurement Supplier Expo at Red Energy Arena on Wednesday 24 July is a joint project of Workforce Australia Local Jobs Bendigo, the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and the City of Greater Bendigo.

Social procurement is when organisations use their buying power to generate social value above and beyond the value of the goods, services or construction being acquired.

Workforce Australia Local Jobs Bendigo employment facilitator Chris Booth said the expo would have a focus on employment.

Nearly 50 exhibitors have been confirmed for the event, and will include apprenticeship and trainee providers, employment services providers, worker upskilling groups, and companies that sell their products to other businesses.

Mr Booth said many businesses now pursued social procurement as part of their day-to-day activities but others were grappling with the concept, particularly as it was becoming more common.

He said it was now being written into many government tenders, for example, with key performance indicators to be met by contractors.

Mr Booth said they could include issues such as women in trades, supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses, priority groups like youth and mature-aged people, those who are culturally and linguistically diverse, and people with disabilities.

He said the expo was open to anyone running a business “to learn who they are able to work with to recruit, on-board and retain new employees from challenged cohorts.”

Local businesses looking for social procurement opportunities, those faced with labour market challenges and companies interested in networking are all encouraged to attend.

Mr Booth said Workforce Australia Local Jobs Bendigo was inspired to organise the event after a local business approached the program for help with its own work on social procurement.

The expo is set for 11am to 2pm and will be free, but registrations are required at Humanitix.