Photo- Flourish employee Simon, who has been delivering courier services for the Rural Fire Service (RFS) since 2014.

By partnering with social enterprises, agencies can secure high-quality services while creating employment for people facing barriers to work.

Social Traders data shows businesses and government agencies have spent a total of $1.1 billion with certified social enterprises over the last seven years, creating 10k jobs and over 918k training hours for people otherwise shut out of work.

Since 2013, the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) has partnered with Flourish Australia, a certified social enterprise supporting people living with complex mental health, to deliver courier services. Over the years, this partnership has evolved and expanded– with Flourish currently providing vehicle cleaning and High Touch Point cleaning for 36 DCJ sites across NSW between 2020-2023.

Flourish Australia values lived experience, with over 50% of its workforce having personal experience with mental health issues. They believe peer support plays a powerful role in recovery, and this contract has allowed them to offer jobs with greater autonomy and responsibility, providing real career pathways.

Why this partnership works

DCJ and Flourish Australia share a commitment to unlocking the potential of social enterprises.

• Direct procurement: Under Clause 5 of the NSW Government’s Public Works and Procurement Regulation 2014, DCJ engaged Flourish without an open tender- fast-tracking a high-impact collaboration.
• Tailored service delivery: Flourish adapted to meet DCJ’s needs while creating meaningful employment opportunities.
• Scalability: The contract has expanded from courier services to include cleaning contracts across NSW, proving social enterprises can grow while maintaining service excellence.
• Diverse career pathways: The courier service offers roles with greater responsibility, giving employees more autonomy and career progression opportunities.

“The partnership is built on the fundamental acknowledgement that procuring from disability enterprises is good for business and the community.”- Sue O’Rourke, Regional Manager, Employment Services, Flourish Australia

“We enjoy a long-standing partnership built on honesty, impeccable service delivery, and reliability. In fact their courier service provides us a far more reliable service than other well-known (high cost) courier service providers.”- Rick Towerton, Chair Indigenous Employee Network & Principal Manager, Business Services, Department of Communities and Justice

Real employment outcomes

This contract has transformed lives by providing stable, higher-responsibility roles for people with lived experience of complex mental health.

• 18 people employed since the courier service began-11 identify as living with a disability.
• Flourish employees develop skills and transition into higher-skilled roles over time.
• The partnership fosters workplace inclusion, benefiting government teams by building stronger, more diverse workplaces.

This partnership's impact is most visible in the people it has empowered.

We spoke to Sue O’Rourke Regional Manager, Employment Services, Flourish Australia to explore this further.

Take Flourish employee Simon, who has been delivering the courier services for the Rural Fire Service (RFS) since 2014.

"Simon was given that run back in 2014, and he still has it. He is so proud of his run,” said O’Rourke.

Over time, Simon became an integral part of the RFS team, earning the respect and camaraderie of his colleagues. His story is a testament to the power of inclusive workplaces- not only do they benefit employees, but they enrich workplaces by fostering diversity and inclusion.

“We’ve had feedback from the RFS that Simon is like their own RFS staff member now. He’s been working there so long and is so well regarded by the team. These partnerships transform lives. That’s why I work for Flourish- we empower people and strengthen communities,” commented O’Rourke.

Beyond individual success stories, the economic benefits of supported employment spread into the community. When people with disabilities secure meaningful work, their carers often regain the ability to work themselves. Additionally, individuals transition from relying on full disability support pensions to contributing to the workforce. This is a direct financial benefit to government and society at large.

Sue also added, “It benefits businesses when their staff engage with someone with a disability. It’s transformative and can change the culture of a workplace, and it really changes the lives of the staff where people with a disability are working.”

Measurable impact

This partnership delivers both social and financial returns:

• Economic benefits: In 2023, DCJ spent $2.9 million with Flourish, generating $860,000 in direct economic impact.
• Expanded services: This spend included courier services, vehicle cleaning and High Touch Point cleaning for 36 DCJ sites across NSW.
• Government savings: Employment reduces reliance on disability support pensions and enables people to return to work, allowing them to contribute to the workforce and pay taxes.

Innovation: Social enterprises solve complex problems

Social enterprises apply creativity and adaptability to problem-solving. When given the opportunity, they develop tailored solutions for government service needs.

When DCJ needed a vehicle washing service for prisoner escort vehicles, they faced challenges around water runoff at the site. Rather than dismissing the issue, they approached Flourish for a solution.

As a social enterprise, Flourish was able to quickly research, develop safe work instructions, and innovate to meet the challenge.

The result was a cost-effective, high-quality solution that exceeded expectations.

DCJ has extended the contract for another two years. The waterless cleaning solution was cost-effective and met all compliance requirements.

“That contract has just been extended for another two years because the solution we developed and proposed has worked- and they’re happy with the quality of work we provide,” said O’Rourke.

Start engaging with social enterprises

With a proven track record, DCJ is looking at engaging Flourish’s services into other departments, reinforcing the scalability of social procurement. Commenting on this partnership, Sue says "This is a long-standing, effective partnership. It’s built on honesty, collaboration and regular communication."

For government agencies looking to engage with social enterprises, Flourish Australia shares these key insights:

• Start with a conversation: Social enterprises aren’t limited to catering or gifting; they offer innovative business solutions. Engage with them early to explore opportunities.
• Break down contracts: Social enterprises may not be able to take on whole-of-state contracts initially, but they can successfully manage smaller portions and scale-up over time.
• Be committed to social impact: Successful partnerships are built on honesty, collaboration, and a shared commitment to positive social change. “Our core purpose at the NSW Department of Communities and Justice centres around caring and improving the lives of our State’s most vulnerable people and communities. Our partnership with Flourish Australia aligns quite closely to that purpose.”- Rick Towerton
• Encourage innovation: Social enterprises are highly adaptable and can develop creative, cost-effective solutions to complex problems.
• Engage with advocacy organisations: Work with Social Traders and the National Disability Services (NDS). These organisations can connect government departments with certified social enterprises that can deliver on their service needs.

Social procurement delivers impact

The DCJ and Flourish Australia partnership proves that government procurement can deliver both commercial value and lasting social impact.

By working with a certified social enterprise, DCJ has met its business needs while tackling entrenched disadvantage, truly changing lives and strengthening communities.

“I am personally quite proud to partner with a disability certified social enterprise like Flourish Australia.”- Rick Towerton

Government procurement teams can drive lasting change. The next step is simple:

Start the conversation with certified social enterprises.