The Government of Canada’s long-awaited Budget 2025 was released last week, and the Buy Social Canada team has spent time reflecting and speaking with our partners and collaborators on what the budget announcements mean for social enterprises, and for advancing a social value marketplace in Canada.

We share the sentiment of many of our colleagues that this budget does not address the systemic, ongoing needs of social enterprises, nor other diverse suppliers in Canada. We need an intentional and strategic approach that includes supportive policy, programs and funding to support social enterprises to continue to sustain and scale the socio-economic impacts they are creating in urban and rural communities across Canada.

Buy Social Canada is, however, very pleased to see that two key recommendations we’ve championed in collaboration with sector partners are included in the budget, as the government strives to “build a Canada that is confident, secure, and resilient—for today and for generations to come.”

We look forward to working with this government to ensure that these budget commitments translate into social enterprise inclusion in the Buy Canadian Policy, and social enterprise access to the capacity building, funding and financing supports which will be necessary for this government to truly “ensure that federal procurement will also support Canadian social enterprises.”

Social enterprise recognized in Buy Canadian Policy

A purchase with a social enterprise delivers far-reaching impact, transforming everyday procurement from a transaction into a tool for social change. When purchasers choose to buy from social enterprise suppliers, they unlock added value, achieve operational and strategic goals, and help build an inclusive and resilient Canadian economy.

As part of our pre-budget submission Buy Social Canada, alongside the Social Enterprise Council of Canada, advocated to ensure that social enterprises are included in the implementation of the Government of Canada’s Policy on Social Procurement as a strategic means for government to meet the policy’s objective of enhancing best value in procurement. With the announcement of the Federal Buy Canadian Policy, we followed up on this advocacy in collaboration with Shorefast, CCEDNet, Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada, Ontario Non-Profit Network, and other sector leaders to share a joint policy brief with federal ministers ahead of the budget, which included a strong recommendation that the government explicitly include social enterprise in the new Buy Canadian Policy.

We are pleased to see this government recognize the importance of procurement opportunities to support Canadian social enterprises. We will continue to advocate for, and work with the government to ensure, that social enterprises are included in the Buy Canadian Policy design and implementation, and in the roll-out of capacity-building programs, funding and financing opportunities.

Community benefits prioritized in infrastructure investments

In a joint pre-budget submission, Social Enterprise Council of Canada and Buy Social Canada recommended that Infrastructure Canada require the implementation of the existing Community Employment Benefit (CEB) Initiative or community benefit agreements (CBAs) on all federally funded infrastructure and construction projects. These tools ensure that investment into infrastructure projects build resilient and connected communities and a strong economy that works for everyone.

We’re encouraged to see Budget 2025 reflect this vision. Under the new Build Communities Strong Fund, the government commits that project selection will consider “factors such as use of unionized labour and use of Community Employment Benefits agreements.”

Projects across Canada are already utilizing community benefits in construction to ensure that investments into infrastructure build strong and resilient communities through both the physical asset, and the employment and procurement opportunities they create.

To learn more about how these initiatives drive impact, read Buy Social Canada’s Community Benefits in Construction Guide or explore our annual report on the New St. Paul’s Hospital project, which highlights the power of community benefits in action.

We commend this government for recognizing the importance of including Community Employment Benefits agreements as they invest in projects across Canada and look forward to working with this government to ensure that CEBs are included on projects to provide a clear mandate for social value creation, along with robust implementation and transparent reporting to fully utilize the opportunity that models like the CEB Initiative create.

Continued collaboration for greater impact

Community is at the heart of Buy Social Canada’s mission, and these successes in Budget 2025 demonstrate the power of collective advocacy. We’re proud to work alongside sector partners who share our vision for a more inclusive economy and are committed to continuing that collaboration with partners, and with the federal government.

We are also ready to work with the federal government to ensure that:

• Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) include social enterprise in the design and implementation of the Buy Canadian Policy.
• Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) incorporate social enterprise capacity building and access to finance in the rollout of the new $79.9 million Small and Medium Business Procurement Program.
• Social finance programs are designed and implemented to meet social enterprise needs, enabling them to meet the growing marketplace demand these policies and programs will create.

Get involved

Explore the Buy Social Canada website to learn more about how we can support organizations to buy and sell with impact, and join us on November 20 at Make Every Purchase Count to hear how purchasers and social enterprises are already putting procurement from social enterprises into practice: partnering to build capacity while delivering on organizational and community goals and supporting more resilient communities across Canada.