Social procurement: uniting purpose and profit for a better tomorrow

In 2023, with co-funding from the European Commission and SAP, Reach for Change joined forces with experts and practitioners in social procurement from 17 countries of Europe as part of the Buy Social Europe B2B project. This initiative aims to connect social and mainstream enterprises, building a network of trusted partners on both sides and empowering them to forge sustainable trade partnerships. By gathering data, sharing knowledge, and aligning agendas, we support each other’s success and impact. The project also raises awareness and strengthens the business case for social procurement across Europe.

Promoting a stronger support structure for social entrepreneurship in Sweden

Reach for Change joined forces with eight other organizations in an initiative led by Social Entrepreneurship Sweden. Funded by Vinnova, this consortium worked from 2021 to 2023 to gather knowledge, resources, and commitment to develop the national social entrepreneurship sector. The project culminated in the "Future Agenda" handed over to the Swedish Ministry of Enterprise, which included ten concrete actions to improve the climate for social entrepreneurs in the country.

Some of the recommended actions were: 

• Support for the development of social financing instruments. 

• Utilize the EU's investment Social Economy Action Plan. 

• Give the Procurement Authority clear targets and KPIs. 

• Continue promoting impact measurement as an important priority for the private sector, public sector, and civil society.

National Competency Centers

To further boost cross-sectoral and cross-border collaboration in the social innovation sector, Reach for Change participated in establishing a National Competency Center for Social Innovation in Bulgaria as part of the FUSE project (Facilitating United Approaches to Social Innovation in Europe). Funded by the European Social Fund (ESF), the consortium led by Rethink in Ireland included partners from Portugal, Bulgaria, and Cyprus. The project employed a participatory approach, bringing together key social innovation actors across government, academia, the private sector, and civil society to strengthen their capacity to act and encourage new, collaborative ways of working.

The overall objective of the project was for social innovations in Ireland, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Portugal to have support from a strong network of cross-sector stakeholders and promoters at a national and EU level. By the end of the project, the activities had reached over 1,100 individuals to increase their capacity in the area of social innovation. 

Empowering social entrepreneurs across borders

Reach for Change together with the Lithuanian Social Business Association, Social Entrepreneurship Association Latvia, and Social Enterprise Estonia, piloted a new network for social entrepreneurs in the Baltic Sea region funded by the Swedish Institute. During 2023, 32 organizations across Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were members of the Baltic Sea Impact Network. They gathered online every month to participate in peer learning sessions and expert workshops led by partner organizations and invited external speakers. An in-person event was organized in Riga in August 2023, gathering network members, partners, and external experts, providing long-awaited opportunities for face-to-face interactions.

The results we have achieved: 

• 95% of members say that participation in the network has given them new connections with other social entrepreneurs in the region.
• 100% of network members acquired new knowledge within the topics covered in the monthly sessions.
• 95% of members said they would like to see a continuation of the network and 91% were likely to recommend it to others.

Building Resilience Through Impact Measurement

Even in times of crisis, the social entrepreneurship ecosystem remains active in Ukraine. Social Economy Ukraine (SEU) works with uniting Ukrainian social entrepreneurs and social organizations to provide necessary support and build a supportive ecosystem. During 2023, we worked together with SEU and Civic Alliance - Latvia (CAL) through a ‘train the trainer’ approach to spread knowledge and tools within impact measurement and management (IMM). With funding from the Nordic Council of Ministers, we delivered a series of workshops where participants underwent comprehensive training following the Reach for Change methodology. As a result, both organizations can now conduct training sessions themselves. 

Capacity building and collaboration initiatives in Latvia

Reach for Change supported the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Latvia as a subcontractor to the Latvian Ministry of Welfare. In this status, we provided an eight-month Incubator program to 7 social entrepreneurs to increase their viability and impact. Additionally, we facilitated group consultations and individual consultations with more than 40 social entrepreneurs in total, covering areas of defining the social problem, customer research, business development, investor attraction, and more. Our efforts extended to interactive workshops at various business and student incubators. These sessions engaged 165 participants.

By the end of the project, our initiatives to create and sustain social impact had reached 30% of registered social enterprises in Latvia.