Private and Public Procurement and the Social Economy

The project provides support to social economy businesses in South Africa to penetrate the regulatory space for the preferential procurement of their goods and services through Government and the corporate sector. It does this (1) with a mix of advocacy and policy advisory services targeted at procurement officials in Government and public and private sector corporate business, and (2) through capacity building support for owner-managers of social enterprises. The overall outcome of the project is more and better jobs for men and women in sustainable social enterprises, with geographic focus on social enterprises operating in the Kwa-Zulu Natal Province and the Free State Province. The immediate project outcomes are: 1. Increased appreciation among stakeholders on the role of public and corporate procurement as a stimulus for employment creation in the social economy; 2. A more conducive enabling environment for public and private sector procurement from social enterprises; 3. Improved breadth and depth of supply with tailored business support services for aspiring, emerging and established social entrepreneurs. The project will deliver the following outputs: - Output 1.1: A strengthened evidence base on the link between social economy development, and social service delivery and employment creation; - Output 1.2: Increased awareness among municipal and provincial level stakeholders about the potential role of social economy enterprises as business partners in public and corporate procurement; - Output 2.1: More effective implementation of regulations to promote public and private procurement from social enterprises; - Output 2.2: Improved information management for the use of social enterprises by public and corporate procurement professionals; - Output 2.3: A voice for social enterprises in the national development policy dialogue; - Output 3.1: Improved access for community-based social entrepreneurs to social business support services; - Output 3.2: Improved access for community-based social entrepreneurs to business finance; - Output 3.3: Improved access for community-based social entrepreneurs to markets. The project intends to reach at least 1,000 social entrepreneurs and to facilitate the creation of at least 1,500 decent employment opportunities.

Project symbol

SAF/13/06/FLA

Admin unit

DWT/CO-Pretoria

Start date

01/01/2014

End date

30/06/2017

Total allocation

2072524

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

2072348

Development Partners

Belgium, Government of Flanders, Department of Foreign Affairs

Country/Countries

South Africa

Outcomes

Promoting sustainable enterprises