SDRC has become a research partner in a major 3 year social enterprise project in the East Midlands BEST Procurement. BEST Procurement stands for Benefiting the Economy and Society Through Procurement.

The objectives of the programme are:

• Influencing public sector procurement strategies-
  To enable the public sector to pursue economic, environmental and social objectives concurrently through channelling existing purchasing power.
• Creating market opportunities for social enterprises -
  To create social enterprise market opportunities within the public sector, focused on labour market integration and the needs of communities of interest.
• Developing the capacity of social enterprises -
  Ensure the development of social enterprises capitalise on the market opportunities created through winning and sustaining contracts.
• Achieving labour market integration -
  Through creating additional and improved employment opportunities within social enterprise for people experiencing labour market discrimination and/ or disadvantage.

There are three stages to the research project::
Action 1- Literature review and information gathering - completed
Action 2 – In-depth Interviews with Social Enterprise and the Public Sector
Action 3 – Dissemination of research information

BEST Procurement - Action 1

Project Manager: Tim Curtis

Researchers: Thokozani Hanjahanja, Malcolm Aldridge, Karen Nash

Action 1 of the BEST Procurement programme began with a literature review.  This was undertaken to understand previous research findings involving social enterprises and public procurement. 

A further part of Action 1 involved obtaining more information about social enterprises in the East Midlands.  This was achieved through two surveys.  The first survey was undertaken through a telephone questionnaire.  A database was compiled of third sector organisations in the East Midlands and as many of these were contacted over a three-month period as possible.  They were asked a series of questions to ascertain the number of these organisations that were social enterprises.  Those identified as social enterprises were then asked to complete a further on-line survey to gather more baseline information on the businesses and their experience with public sector procurement.  This was to provide a starting point from which to begin work on Action 2.

BEST Procurement - Contracting Knowhow

Project Manager: Professor Stephen Tinsley
Researchers: Keith Melton, Karen Nash

Aims
To develop training modules aimed primarily at senior people within Social Enterprises, with a view to increasing their level of expertise in the skills and knowledge needed to improve their chances of bidding for and acquiring contracts in the Public Sector.

To bring together both sides of the contracting parties, not only to learn how to improve skills and information flows amongst Social Enterprises, but also to provide Public Sector procurement professional with a knowledge of the possibilities for Social Enterprises to fulfil contracts effectively while at the same time providing Value for Money solutions to their procurement needs.

 Objectives
To produce a training package of 8 modules at two levels, beginner and intermediate, to be fully accredited with a nationally recognised awarding body.

Chair of Social Enterprise Development Group

Chair: Keith Melton

The objective of the ‘Chair’s’ work is to ensure the effective functioning of the Partners as a partnership, working within the Social Enterprise Development Working Group (supply side) of the BEST Procurement Development Partnership.

The chair will take a lead role in regular progress meetings with the Social Enterprise Development Working Group.

BEST Procurement - Action 2

Project Manager: Professor Stephen Tinsley
Researchers: Dr Sarah-Anne Munoz, Heather George

Following on from the literature review in action 1 this research provides an opportunity to observe the social enterprises and the public sector as they move towards a procurement relationship within the BEST Procurement partnership. The pilot stage of undertaking and testing out semi structured interviews on a sample of social enterprises are complete. The survey explored, with the staff of social enterprises and their perceptions of the context within which they operate, procurement, supply chain models and their views on the type of interventions they think would be useful to enable social enterprises to move into a procurement relationship with the public sector. The research aims and objectives are set out below:

Aims
To understand the impact of the BEST procurement programme and identify added value in social enterprises thus enabling public sector procurement and to examine the changes.

Objectives
Ø To explore and identify the Social Enterprises in the East Midlands and the value obtained through public sector procurement.
Ø To explore, investigate and analyse the enablers and barriers to social provision through public procurement
Ø To analyse the relationship between public sector bodies and Social Enterprise; in the context of providing goods and services.
Ø To explore the impact of support interventions (through the BEST Procurement programme) on social enterprise and its impact on Public Sector agencies

Two of the case studies compiled by SDRC have been included in the BEST Procurement Guides for Selling to the Public Sector. You can read these here - GFSR and GFSR2

A summary report of the findings from SDRC’s case study work is also available to read by using the link on the right hand side of this page.

As part of Action 2, SDRC have also undertaken market research with the aim of understanding existing social enterprise procurement issues and investigate the benefits of the BEST Procurement Programme to the local economy. This was done through targeted interviews with public sector agencies and specialist advisors. This provided an initial assessment of the potential benefits and contribution that might derive from social enterprise involvement in particular market segments.

You can read the market research report by using the link on the right hand side of this page.

SDRC have also carried out a beneficiary evaluation survey. This survey was a follow up investigation into the benefits associated with involvement in the BEST Procurement Programme for social enterprises. You can read the Beneficiary Evaluation Survey by using the link on the right hand side of this page

On completion of action 2 a series of recommendations will be made to Social Enteprise East Midlands on the viability of the social enterprise sector in the region to provide public services under a public sector remit.

BEST Procurement - Action 3

Project Manager: Professor Stephen Tinsley
Researchers : Dr Sarah-Anne Munoz, Heather George
Event Manager: Wendy Galloway

Sustainable Development Research Centre (SDRC) has established the Social Enterprise Research Unit (SERU), which is based within the Sustainable Development Research Centre at Forres. SERU will take forward the BEST procurement Action 3 development partnership for Social Enterprise East Midlands (SEEM).

Proposed Activities
Research Dissemination Workshops
SDRC have facilitated a series of workshops throughout the regions of the UK which have brought together social enterprise practitioners, academics and policy-makers in an environment where research findings have been discussed and best practice shared. SDRC have produced a report summarising the main themes discussed at each work shop. These are available to read on-line > more information more information

Chair in Social Enterprise
SERU will be led by a newly created - Chair of Social Enterprise. The establishment of the post will establish the Unit as a leader in Social Enterprise research. It is envisaged that the Unit will go beyond and outside the BEST Procurement programme and continue to look at the relationships between social enterprises and the public sector.