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$1.4 billion and counting, Australian businesses reshaping the economy to focus on social performance

28 April 2026

Sector News Trends & Insights

Joanne Barrow
Head of Marketing and Digital Solutions

Corporates directing billions into a new kind of supplier – social enterprises – to drive social performance through their supply chain. Photo: Clothing the Gaps.

Social Traders latest report shows world-leading momentum: $304 million spent with certified social enterprises in FY25 representing 18% year-on-year growth and the highest single-year total on record.

Over eight years, Social Traders businesses and government members have directed more than $1.4 billion towards certified social enterprises. This is the fastest social procurement growth globally.

Behind every dollar spent with social enterprise is real impact. The eight-year cumulative spend has supported:

13,383 jobs for people otherwise shut out of work.
1 million training hours.
$103 million in community goods and services.
$16.8 million charitable funds donated.
68,050 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill.

These figures reflect a substantial shift among corporates and governments that are practicing social procurement and embedding social enterprise suppliers at pace, as a measurable driver of social performance.

Commenting on the report, Tara Anderson, CEO of Social Traders said:

“We’re seeing members who purchased from certified social enterprises two years in a row spend 47% more in the second year. And in FY25, 71% have increased their spend year on year.
Businesses are prioritising social value alongside commercial outcomes. Working with certified social enterprises is a smart choice. They deliver quality goods and services while creating real measurable impact for communities and the planet.”

FY25 was also a landmark year for social enterprises. 735 were certified, a 19% increase from the previous year and more importantly, 70% of certified social enterprises grew their trade revenue.

Growing commitment among leading organisations

In FY25, 151 business and government members were active with Social Traders. They span construction, property, professional services, banking, education, government and more. Among them, a growing cohort have crossed the $1 million annual spend threshold with certified social enterprises – a benchmark that signals serious, systemic commitment to social value rather ad hoc participation.

CPB Contractors, a member of the CIMIC Group, was named the FY25 Top Spender in social procurement having spent $34.2 million with certified social enterprises.

It topped a list of over 25 organisations who exceeded $1 million in spend, with ANZ, Ambulance Victoria, Downer, Fulton Hogan, Acciona, Visy Industries, and Laing O'Rourke each surpassing $5 million.

ASX-listed infrastructure company John Holland had the greatest number of certified social enterprises in their supply chain at 54, earning them the FY25 Most Diverse Suppliers recognition.

John Holland

Social enterprise showcase

Supplier development strengthening market readiness

Growing the marketplace for social procurement requires more than connecting buyers with suppliers. It requires social enterprises to become better equipped to meet that demand.

In FY25, Social Traders Supplier Development Program delivered in partnership with Mirvac, saw 57 targeted introductions being made – eight of which converted into contracts during the program period.

Participants recorded a 19% overall improvement in commercial capability, including a 43% uplift in financial cost modelling and 38% improvement in procurement readiness. A third program cohort with Mirvac has already been secured, reflecting confidence in the model's commercial outcomes.

Social performance, a strategic imperative

Social performance – the measurable impact a business has on people – is increasingly central to how leading organisations manage the "social" in ESG. Embedding certified social enterprises in supply chains offers a direct mechanism to advance supplier diversity, promote equity, and create accountability for social outcomes.

The latest report validates organisations are shifting quickly towards social enterprises as a smart strategic choice to create social value.

And it’s with good reason. Social enterprises employ people who face barriers to work – refugees, people living with disability, those recovering from long-term unemployment – they supply affordable and accessible products and services that meet community needs in underserved markets, and they offer solutions to help the planet.

By buying from and embedding social enterprises into a supply chain, a business gets the same quality goods and services but also gets social and environmental value in the same transaction.

With 35% average annual growth in social procurement spend and 20% average annual growth of certified social enterprises over eight years, Australia is establishing itself as a global leader for supply-chain driven social performance. Anderson added:

“This progress is the foundation for our next chapter, as the industry body for social enterprise and social performance. FY25 showed what's possible when business, government and certified social enterprises work together.
“Organisations that can demonstrate credible, measurable social outcomes are gaining competitive advantage – attracting talent, mitigating supply chain risk, and generating business value. Social performance is no longer a nice-to-have; it is becoming a defining marker of industry leadership.
“I'm proud of what this community has achieved and energised by what comes next. The time is now for other organisations to lead in social performance.”

Download the report