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Our vision for social procurement
Social procurement is when organisations use their buying power to generate social value above and beyond the value of the goods, services, or construction being procured. Since 2018, the Victorian Government has used government purchase power to generate social value, guided by the Victorian Government’s Social Procurement Framework.
At Homes Victoria, our vision is to integrate strong social procurement practices and support inclusive employment outcomes across all Homes Victoria projects. As an agency delivering new housing infrastructure across Victoria, it is our responsibility to ensure our projects maximise opportunities to generate social value and provide the best job, education and training outcomes for those who are often under-represented in our workforce.
Homes Victoria has introduced a set of scalable social procurement requirements that apply to all projects, no matter the size or value.
Social procurement case study
Our social procurement priorities
Stemming from the Victorian Government’s Social Procurement Framework, Homes Victoria has set social procurement requirements that align with our housing programs priorities and homelessness support services. Our social procurement objectives draw from those of the Victorian Government’s Social Procurement Framework and Department of Families, Fairness and Housing Social Procurement Strategy 2021-22.
Homes Victoria’s social procurement objectives are to provide:
- opportunities for Victorian Aboriginal people
- opportunities for Victorians with disability
- opportunities for Victorian priority jobseekers (social housing renters, people on the Victorian Housing Register, asylum seekers and refugees), and
- women’s equality and safety.
Our social procurement requirements relate to the scale of a project and its contract value. These requirements have been developed in coordination with other government agencies and endorsed for industry consultation by our executive team and advisory board. For further information, please see the Homes Victoria Social Procurement guide below.
Homes Victoria social procurement requirements
At this contract value, 5% weighting is available to social benefit suppliers only.
For procurement below $150,000, only one quote is required if the supplier is a social benefit supplier.
Suppliers must demonstrate:
- their existing and planned commitments to inclusive employment practices.
Suppliers may strengthen social procurement rating by demonstrating commitments to:
- employment of priority cohorts and/or
- project spend through social benefit suppliers.
Social benefit suppliers automatically attract a 5% weighting for the overall social procurement weighting.
Suppliers must demonstrate:
- their existing and planned commitments to inclusive employment practices
- how priority cohorts to perform a combined minimum of 5% of total project labour hours through direct employment or indirect employment
- how social benefit suppliers will deliver minimum 2.5% of total project spend
- a commitment towards 50% women on the board and senior management team. At a minimum, the supplier is required to increase women on the Board and senior management by 10 percentage points over four years.
For construction contracts only, the Building Equality Policy applies.
Social benefit suppliers
In the context of Victorian government procurement, a social benefit supplier means a business that:
- is a Victorian social enterprise;
- is a Victorian Aboriginal business and is verified by Supply Nation or Kinaway; or
- provides ‘supported employment services’ as defined in section 7 of the Disability Services Act 1986 (Cth), and operates and has business premises in Victoria
For more information on social benefit suppliers, please see here.
Guidance for our suppliers
- Find social benefit suppliers
- Apprenticeships Victoria - Support for employers
- Social Procurement Framework – Supplier guidance
- Buying for Victoria – central place for all suppliers to register interest in supplying to the Victorian Government
- ICN Victoria – ICN VMC Training sessions for Suppliers to Victorian Government with Social Procurement Reporting requirements
- Homes Victoria Social Procurement Guide
Programs and initiatives
Social Housing Employment Program (SHEP)
The Social Housing Employment Program helps people living in Victorian social housing get the hands-on experience and training they need to join the social housing workforce.
Homes Victoria is partnering with Jobs Victoria, Uniting Vic/Tas and Qualify to support 200 social housing residents and other priority job seekers into full-time or part-time social housing jobs by mid-2023. The Social Housing and Employment Program will be delivered through a $3 million investment from the $250 million Jobs Victoria Fund.
Homes Victoria will encourage suppliers to help meet their social procurement contractual obligations through engaging with this program and encourage social housing residents to seek employment through the program.
The Social Housing Employment Program targets social housing residents and others at risk of long-term unemployment, connecting them with a wide range of career opportunities. Opportunities may include social housing tenancy and management, maintenance, cleaning, to security services. Participants will work and get paid while completing an industry-related qualification and receive on-the-job training to build skills and capabilities.
The entry-level roles provide secure work for a minimum of 12 months paid at or above award rates and offer one-on-one mentoring and networking opportunities.
Are you interested in one of these jobs?
Speak to our partners today:
- Uniting Vic/Tas (Metro Melbourne region) or call 1300 090 989
- Qualify (Gippsland region) or call 1800 365 599