Co-operatives and mutuals empower communities by sharing ownership and business rewards, creating a more inclusive economy. To drive this vision, The Bunya Fund of the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals supports emerging and established co-operatives with education, training, and mentoring valued between $5,000 and $25,000. Since 2022, over $350,000 has been committed to co-operatives tackling key challenges in housing, health, employment, and more.
For co-operatives dedicated to social impact, Social Traders certification provides validation and a platform for growth, helping them achieve sustainable success in Australia’s social enterprise ecosystem. The recent Bunya Fund Community of Practice session brought together co-operatives and mutual enterprises (CMEs) to explore the value of Social Traders social enterprise certification. Georgina Cohen and Matt Panayi of Social Traders led the discussion with co-operative leaders, Dan Musil of Earthworker Cooperative and Richard Warner and Michael Cherry of Nundah Community Enterprises Cooperative.
They provided their unique perspectives and insights.
Certification supports growth
Social Traders certification is designed to validate genuine social enterprises, provide the highest standard and help them reach new customers. Georgina opened the session with Social Traders vision “to see a thriving social enterprise sector significantly contributing to a fairer, more equitable and sustainable Australia.” Social Traders has helped over 680 social enterprises achieve certification, allowing them to access procurement opportunities from over 150 business and government members, which have collectively spent over $840 million on certified enterprises in the last six years.
Georgina explained that Social Traders certification model grew from research, which highlighted the biggest thing that social enterprises needed to enable them to grow was customers. While certification is structured to validate a social enterprise’s impact it also opens doors to procurement opportunities. “Certification helps social enterprises to articulate both the social impact and social costs they contribute,” Georgina explained, noting that Social Traders captures data to advocate for the sector’s growth at the policy level.
Dan, representing Earthworker Cooperative, shared why his co-op decided to pursue certification. “The badge gives us a better chance at winning more work,” he said, adding that certification provides valuable networking with like-minded social entrepreneurs, helping build a connected social economy. Earthworker’s Energy Manufacturing Co-op is currently certified, and Dan hopes to eventually bring other Earthworker co-ops into the certified community.
However, Dan also noted that aspects of the certification process didn’t fully capture the unique value of Earthworker’s mission. “The framework asks you to select a single impact, but for us, employment generation in the Latrobe Valley is tied to addressing social disadvantage and climate change,” he said. This interconnected approach was challenging to categorise, but Dan recognised the importance of certification, saying it helps Earthworker “be held accountable to our values and purpose.”
Richard of Nundah Community Enterprises Cooperative also discussed the benefits of certification for his co-op, which focuses on providing meaningful employment for people with disabilities and those from refugee backgrounds. Certification has opened doors for Nundah, enabling them to access contracts that would otherwise be out of reach. “We were asked to represent social enterprises at a meeting with Mirvac, and out of that came a local contract for our members,” Richard shared. Michael, a long-standing member and coordinator at Nundah, echoed this sentiment: “Winning awards and contracts through Social Traders gives us acknowledgment for our hard work… it’s really exciting to be recognised for what we’ve achieved as a co-op.”
Purpose, authenticity and collaboration
The certification process isn’t without challenges, particularly for co-operatives with complex or multi-layered impacts. Georgina assured participants that Social Traders is refining its framework to better capture the value of community-led, co-operative models. “Certification is about the purpose- why you do what you do,” Georgina explained. For many co-operatives, the democratic structure itself is a form of social impact, and Social Traders is actively working to incorporate this nuance into the certification process.
Matt explained how Social Traders uses certification to ensure authenticity, reducing the risk of “social washing” by verifying that enterprises operate with genuine intent, purpose, and impact. He sees certification as a long-term commitment for social enterprises: “It’s not just a badge, but a commitment to ongoing impact and purpose.” This commitment to transparent, mission-driven practices is essential as the sector grows and seeks to attract diverse investment.
For certified co-operatives, the benefits extend beyond procurement. Certification embeds co-operatives in a larger community of purpose-led businesses, fostering collaboration and strengthening the social enterprise movement in Australia. “We believe our social procurement model offers benefits that help co-ops grow,” Georgina noted. Social Traders offer of a free first-year membership for Bunya recipients underscores this commitment to emerging co-operatives.
Certification with Social Traders is ultimately about more than a seal of approval—it’s about fostering an environment where social enterprises can thrive, grow, and amplify their impact. The insights shared by Dan, Richard, and Michael underscored the real-world advantages of certification, from networking and credibility to tangible support in securing contracts.
Five reasons to consider Social Traders membership and certification for co-operatives:
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