Message from Minister for Government Services Natalie Hutchins
Since 2018, the Victorian Government has leveraged its buying power through innovative social procurement policy to amplify opportunities and drive sustainable growth that all Victorians can benefit from.
The Social Procurement Framework (the Framework) streamlines and embeds social procurement within ordinary government processes, ensuring that value-for-money is the driving force behind all Victorian Government procurement decisions. This delivers benefits to the Victorian community above and beyond the value of the goods, services or construction being procured.
During the 2023-24 financial year, the Victorian Government’s ten departments and largest agencies directly spent $51.36 million with 113 certified Victorian Aboriginal businesses, and $47.29 million with 96 certified Victorian social enterprises. This brings the government’s direct spend, since 2018, to $148.2 million and $115.6 million respectively with these enterprises.
On 1 July 2023, the Framework’s Opportunities for disadvantaged Victorians objective was replaced with the Opportunities for Victorian priority jobseekers objective. Following this, the government started tracking direct spend with certified social enterprises led by a mission for job readiness and employment of Victorian priority jobseekers.
By creating sustainable pathways to employment and improving economic participations of Victorian Aboriginal people, women, those living with a disability and those in regional Victoria, the Framework ensures that the Victorian Government continues to create a future where opportunities are shared by everyone. I am proud to share the results from this critical policy for the 2023-24 financial year.
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