The Municipality of Grey Highlands and the Municipality of West Grey, in partnership with Georgian College's Social Enterprise Network of Central Ontario (senco) and OMAFRA, have launched an exciting initiative aimed at growing social enterprise in our communities.
A drive-in screening of The Social Shift officially introduced the project in late 2020, which offered a glimpse into many socially focused businesses across Canada. The documentary, which was offered again in early in 2021 as an online screening, provided a great backdrop for conversations about social enterprise and how they can have real and meaningful impacts in the community.
Not familiar with social enterprise? Don’t worry, you probably know more about it than you realize! There are lots of thoughts and ideas about what makes a business a social enterprise, but they all share basic underlying tenants.
Generally, the business:
- will have a specific social goal that serves the primary purpose.
- acknowledges that its mandate is more than a monetary bottom line.
- exists to improve a situation or circumstance and to serve the common good.
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“When a local business grows, the community grows alongside it.”
Independent and local retailers and suppliers contribute in a big way to the local economy, and they are the backbone of our community when it comes to addressing social and environmental needs.
When customers purchase from suppliers like you, they are reinvesting in their neighbourhoods, which means more money for infrastructure, workforce development, social services, programs, arts, culture and more.
Georgian College’s SENCO invites your social purpose organization, diverse-owned, or small business to opt-in to their supplier directory (via a Supplier Questionnaire) as part of their Community Benefit Purchasing Project (CBPP).
Community benefit purchasing is another way of saying social procurement, which involves procuring goods and services from suppliers that benefit the community economically, socially and environmentally.
Do you also identify as a purchaser? Please check out their questionnaire specifically for purchasers. They are always looking for the purchaser to advocate for social procurement and lead by example: Purchaser Questionnaire
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If you are interested in social enterprise, please contact our economic development team, who are happy to provide you with further information about social enterprise opportunities in our area.
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The Business for Change webinar series offered further insights and tools to assist local entrepreneurs, regardless of whether they identified as a social enterprise.
- Social Enterprise 101
- Introduction and Ideation
- Session #1: Explore the Feasibility of a New Idea or Business
- Session #2: Business Planning Through the Perspective of a Social Enterprise
- Session #3: Measuring the Positive Impact of Your Business
- Session #4: Pitching and Storytelling for Businesses Making a Difference
