Social procurement and supplier diversity

UNSW is committed to using our buying power to generate social value that extends beyond the value of the goods and services we procure. We are committed to engaging with diverse suppliers to create equal opportunity, diversify the Australian workforce and contribute to a more inclusive economy.

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Indigenous suppliers

UNSW is dedicated to boosting Indigenous participation in the economy, fostering empowerment, resilience and the prosperity of Indigenous communities both now and for future generations.

UNSW have been proud members of Supply Nation since 2018, which has been instrumental to expanding our Indigenous supplier network and expenditure across a wide range of procurement categories such as retail goods and services, office supplies and education and training.

Supply Nation’s Indigenous Business Direct is Australia’s largest national directory of verified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses, and UNSW encourages all staff to use the directory to search for suppliers as  part of quotation requests or direct engagements under our quotation threshold. Supplier industries include:

  • Retail goods and services
  • Education & training
  • Consulting
  • Food and hospitality
  • Community and services
  • Graphic design & photography
  • Events management
  • Legal services

Social enterprises

At UNSW, we are committed to leveraging our buying power to generate social value above and beyond the value of the goods or services being procured.

By sourcing goods and services from certified social enterprises, we can positively contribute to the communities we operate. We’ve joined Social Traders to help us find the right opportunities to introduce social enterprises into our purchasing decisions.

  • As a Social Traders member, we join Australia’s leading organisations driving business for good.
  • Our membership unlocks access to the tools and support to embed certified social enterprises into our supply chain.
  • We look forward to together shaping the systems, structures and internal culture needed to build a sustainable social procurement strategy.
  • Ultimately, we’ve joined Social Traders because we believe in contributing to a fairer and more equitable Australia, through the opportunity of social procurement.

UNSW encourages staff to use the Social Enterprise Finder to search for and engage with new suppliers for quotation requests or direct engagements under our quotation threshold across a broad range of product and supplier categories such as: Community & Social services, Merchandise, Training and Education, Catering and Hospitality, Advertising & media, and plenty more.