Buy Social Corporate Challenge
A group of high-profile businesses is aiming to collectively spend £1 billion with social enterprises through their procurement
Our flagship social procurement programme is built on one simple premise – what if businesses could harness their everyday business spend in a way which changes lives, transforms communities and protects the environment? Since launching in Downing Street in April 2026, the Buy Social Corporate Challenge has worked with over 30 leading corporates – supporting them use their supply chains to meet their ESG goals in a way which goes beyond corporate social responsibility. How? Through buying from and partnering with social enterprises – businesses set up to trade for a social or environmental purpose.
If you’re a business looking to maximise supply chain opportunities and impact read on to find out how you can get involved!
Using supply chains for social change
The core ambition behind the Buy Social Corporate Challenge is to support a group of high-profile companies collectively spend £1 billion with social enterprises through their procurement – transforming the way supply chains work, opening up new market opportunities for social enterprises and, in doing so, helping them grow their impact.
The Challenge has brought together a group of leading businesses from across sectors. Whether it’s construction, professional services, law firms, insurance companies, banks, pharmaceuticals or tech companies, working with corporate partners has made a tangible difference to social enterprises – harnessing the power of the private sector to drive positive social and environmental change.
The opportunity – why get involved?
The Buy Social Corporate Challenge helps large businesses to engage with a range of innovative suppliers and embeds social value, sustainability and diversity into their core operations.
From office cleaning and stationery to photography, filming and recycling services. Tea and coffee to corporate gifting, waste disposal to catering – whatever your business needs, there’s a good chance you’ll find a social enterprise supplier who can deliver quality goods or services at a competitive price but with added social impact.
Social Enterprise UK supports Challenge Partners to source from social enterprises through a package of strategic engagement, supply chain review, training, internal and external communications, brokerage and events. To find out more about taking part email socialprocurement@socialenterprise.org.uk.
Buy Social Corporate Challenge partners
The impact of corporate partners working with social enterprises
So far, the 36 corporate partners have spent a total of £864 million with 2,583 social enterprise suppliers, getting us very close to our ambitious £1 billion target! In 2025, corporate spend with social enterprises was just over £209 million, an increase on the £179 million spent on goods and services last year.
Many social enterprises have a mission to generate employment opportunities for those facing barriers to the labour market, and we estimate that through the challenge 7,863 jobs have been created through trade with corporate partners.
As recent changes to procurement law have shown, the focus of procurement is shifting from cost to broader social value. Social enterprises are experts at delivering social value, so being part of the Challenge is also helping partners gain a competitive advantage and win new business. Find out more about the impact of the Challenge in the programme’s latest annual report.
Case studies – social procurement in action
Find out what partnerships between corporate buyers and social enterprise suppliers look like in practice in our new series of case studies, bringing social procurement to life.
These look at some of the different ways social enterprises can help corporates achieve their ESG goals in a way which goes beyond CSR initiatives and embed social value through supply chains.
This growing series of case studies will show the many ways in which corporates from across sectors can work with social enterprises.
Find out more about the difference partnering with social enterprise suppliers has made to Buy Social Corporate Challenge partner, Nationwide, in this short video: