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
In the ninth year of the Challenge, 33 big businesses together spent spent £179 million on goods and services, a 46% year-on-year increase, and the highest since the initiative launched in 2016.
In total, corporate partners have spent £656 million with 2,100 social enterprise suppliers, creating nearly 6,000 jobs. Corporate partners reported that being part of the Challenge has created more external recognition, with 94% saying it has increased supplier diversity and 76% stating it has brought more innovation into their supplier base.
Find out more about the impact of the Challenge and its impact on both the corporates and social enterprises involved in our latest impact report.
Find out more about the difference partnering with social enterprise suppliers has made to Buy Social Corporate Challenge partner, Nationwide, in this short video: