Update

Social procurement grows across British Columbia municipalities with the expansion of CCSPI

Jun 16th, 2021

Buy Social Canada, Scale Collaborative, Presentation Plus and Vancouver Island Construction Association to provide education, consulting and support for community-focused purchasing

Social procurement is a powerful tool to help achieve overarching goals and strategies to shape inclusive, healthy and vibrant communities. Buy Social Canada looks forward to growing the Coastal Communities Social Procurement Initiative (CCSPI) from the current 27 local municipalities on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast to municipalities across British Columbia with the British Columbia Social Procurement Initiative (BCSPI).

“When municipalities focus on prioritizing social and local purchasing, they’re essentially reinvesting tax dollars back into the local economy, local jobs, and healthy communities – BCSPI is designed to provide the tools and support to accelerate that activity.” – David LePage, Managing Partner, Buy Social Canada.

Communities and small businesses across British Columbia will benefit from an expanded social procurement program that focuses on getting the best value for every dollar spent while also reinvesting back into communities and contributing to economic recovery.

The B.C. government is providing funding for the expansion through a one-time $500,000 grant to the City of Victoria. Read the full media release here.

“We are committed to ensuring B.C. communities emerge from this pandemic even more resilient for the future,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Municipal Affairs. “The BC Social Procurement Initiative is a great example of local governments working together, learning from each other, and sharing common regional resources to turn their purchasing and investment dollars into benefits that support local businesses and create a diverse workforce.”

There will be a free information and learning session on the British Columbia Social Procurement Initiative on July 7th at 2pm PT. Register here.

Find out more about BCSPI here or contact Tori Williamson, tori@buysocialcanada.com.

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