Join Buy Social Canada on May 16, 2024 as we share the latest best practices for social procurement implementation at Marketplace Impact: Social Procurement in Action. This event will focus on people and organizations who are activating purchasing to achieve community goals in a variety of ways.

Social procurement continues to expand across the country as governments, institutions, corporates and non-profits see the power of purchasing to create healthy, vibrant communities. While interest grows, more purchasers are implementing, innovating, and iterating to move from policy to action.

This year we’re also celebrating 10 years of Buy Social Canada. We will launch a new free resource, the Community Benefits in Construction Design Guide. We can’t wait to share it with you at the Marketplace Impact event.

Don’t miss this engaging, two-hour virtual event on May 16 from 10am-12pm PST / 1pm-3pm EST.

Get your free tickets now.

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Event agenda

Opening remarks

Following a land acknowledgement and welcome, the opening session will feature a high-level discussion on the Federal Government’s actions taken to grow and implement social procurement, as well as what comes next.

Speakers:

• Michael Mills, Associate Deputy Minister, Public Services and Procurement Canada
• Mark Matz, Director General – Public Transportation, Infrastructure Canada

Community discussion – see more info on what this is below

Resource Launch: Community Benefits in Construction Design Guide

We’re excited to launch a new free resource during this event. The Community Benefits in Construction Design Guide builds off our decade of experience advocating with and supporting the work of localized community benefits networks, designing policy for municipal governments, and working on the ground for CBA projects like the New St. Paul’s Hospital.

Community discussion – see more info on what this is below

Innovative Ways to Build Supply and Demand Relationships

During this panel discussion, speakers will share how their organizations are each using innovative new approaches to build relationships between supply and demand-side organizations to implement social procurement and maximize social value outcomes.

Speakers:

• Alisha Masongsong, Social Planner II, Community Economic Development, City of Vancouver
• Corinne Evason, Sustainable Procurement Liaison, City of Winnipeg
• Victoria Armit, Operations Manager – Business Growth & Community Development, Centre for Inclusive Economic Opportunity

Community discussion – see more info on what this is below

Social Procurement Champion Awards and Closing Remarks

Every year we give Social Procurement Champion Awards to organizations who are taking initiative and playing a key role in advancing the social value marketplace. This year in particular we’re focussing on organizations who are really making things happen – either through direct action or through advocacy and sustained engagement with stakeholders. 

Award recipients:

• Ontario Nonprofit Network
• City of Winnipeg
• City of Edmonton

Stay tuned for more details about the award recipients coming soon.

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Community discussions on Airmeet

For this event, we’re gathering on the virtual platform Airmeet. Between sessions, there will be time for community discussion and networking at Airmeet’s interactive “Tables.” Tables are like breakout rooms on Zoom, but a bit more personal, and easier to move between.

Tables will be open at 9:30am PT/ 12:30pm ET, and close at 1pm PT / 4pm ET on May 16. Join a table at the start of the event, and move between tables throughout the sessions to connect with new people.

You can see who is in each table easily, invite people to join your table, chat privately and share your screen. Most of all, tables are a great space to connect and feel like you’re at an in-person event around an actual table. We hope you’ll enjoy and take advantage of this feature when we meet!

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Thank you to Buy Social Leader Chandos Construction for sponsoring Marketplace Impact: Social Procurement in Action.