The current crisis has shone a spotlight on the value that social enterprises and impact businesses can bring to the supply chain.

Now, more than ever before, large companies are looking for opportunities to procure from businesses and suppliers that can demonstrate a commitment to positive social or environmental change. But how do you make sure you are best positioned to find out about these opportunities, start the conversations and win new business?

Who is it for?

This workshop is aimed at SMEs that are Social Enterprises, social entrepreneurs, enterprising charities and other purposeful businesses, seeking to secure contracts under procurement from Buyers in Oxfordshire.

What will I learn?

Attendees to this workshop will:

1. Learn what procurement, and social procurement, is.

2. Understand your business requirements to prepare for procurement, as a social enterprise.

3. Find out how your social impact fits into procurement, and how to measure it.

4. Understand what documentation you may need to prepare.

5. Find out about some of the Buyers procuring in Oxfordshire, and the procurement processes they use.

6. Learn more about a ‘Meet The Buyer’ event in November to enable introductions and start conversations between buyers and social impact suppliers. How to be ‘Social Procurement ready’ as an Oxfordshire-based social enterprise to secure larger contracts, enter a procurement process and grow!

Facilitator

Paul Roberts and Sophie Kilmister from the award winning social enterprise, Aspire Oxfordshire. Aspire, is one of six eScalate Enterprise Hubs in Oxfordshire, and is a preferred supplier of services to a diverse range of Buyers in Oxfordshire, including local authorities, leisure providers, facilities management companies and housing associations.

Paul brings a wealth of experiences of different charity and community enterprise models in Oxfordshire. He is a Director of Aspire’s trading company as well as the Chief Executive Officer of the Aspire charity. Paul joined Aspire in 2012 and has been at the forefront of significant organisational growth including through trading. Aspire’s turnover has grown by 480% in this time frame.

Paul has helped set up numerous, enterprising community organisations in the county. He is a co-founder of the Oxford Homeless Movement, was a founder Director of Greater Change CIC (Community Interest Company), and is a Director of Makespace Oxford CIC, of the Oxfordshire Social Entrepreneurship Partnership (OSEP CIC), and is a Founder Trustee of ‘Flo’s the Place in the Park’ (a charitable Community Benefit Society).

Prior to joining Aspire, Paul was a British Diplomat for six years. Paul previously volunteered at Asylum Welcome in Oxford and as a Generalist Adviser for the Citizens Advice. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy.

Currently Enterprise Development Programme Manager at Aspire, Sophie also works as the Operations Director of an Engineering business. A key feature of Sophie’s career has been working across sectors – commercial, public and charitable sector. Prior to joining Aspire Sophie spent 9 years in secondary education as both teacher and senior leader – teaching Business Studies and Economics. As Assistant Head involved in strategic development and implementation within a large secondary school.

Previous to this, Sophie trained as and worked as a solicitor firstly in the banking sector and then for the charity sector. She also spent three years establishing and running a £30m endowed grant making charitable foundation for an entrepreneur.

For more information about the eScalate programme , visit www.oxfordshirelep.com/escalate