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The business partnerships raising the bar on social impact

24 September 2026

Sector News Best practice Case Studies

Joanne Barrow
Head of Marketing & Digital

Meet the three 2026 finalists for Social Impact Partnership of the Year and the people whose lives they're changing.

Photo: Meals with Impact

Social performance is the impact a business has on its people, suppliers, customers and community. The organisations pulling ahead can measure, report and prove that impact confidently and credibly.

This year's Social Impact Partnership of the Year finalists are best-in-class examples of businesses taking social performance further.

Mirvac, John Holland and Lendlease respectively partnered with a certified social enterprise, which turned into a long-term commitment that delivered social impact in spades.

Between them, these partnerships have diverted around 400 tonnes of waste from landfill, placed more than 100 culturally diverse jobseekers into work and turned a workplace food kiosk into paid training for women from refugee and migrant backgrounds.

In the lead up to the winners being announced at Convene 2026 in Brisbane on October 20, we take a moment to recognise these finalists and their commitment to creating social value through business.

Mirvac and Prisoners Aid Association of NSW: a path to stability for people leaving the justice system while helping the planet

Social Traders introduced Mirvac to Mates on the Move, the certified social enterprise run by Prisoners Aid Association of NSW, in 2017. They exists to ensure that every person who has experienced prison has the support, skills, and opportunities they need to build a stable and thriving future.

Mirvac started small, hiring the team to collect paper towels and coffee cups from 10 NSW sites. Mates on the Move diverted more than 90 tonnes from landfill in its first year.

The team at Mates on the Move kept earning more work by delivering quality service. They were selected to be part of the Supplier Development Program in 2023 ran by Social Traders in partnership with Mirvac – gaining mentorship on scaling their social enterprise, built their capability in compliance and finance, boosting their commercial readiness.

Mates on the Move now handles polystyrene, glass, pallets, metals, e-waste and furniture across Mirvac properties, including fit-outs and whole precincts, under multi-site framework agreements. They’re embedded in Mirvac’s supply chain.

Mates on the Move

The two partners co-developed zero waste targets together and had shared incentives, KPIs and accountability for performance. Mates on the Move uses route technology and live reporting dashboards to plan collections, which cut site visits by 20% while keeping uptime at 99%.

The results add up. Mates on the Move has diverted around 400 tonnes from landfill since 2017. At 55 Pitt Street alone, it repurposed more than 1,740 items worth $174,000 in resale value. Mirvac cut landfill costs and strengthened its ESG and Modern Slavery Act reporting through this partnership while Prisoners Aid gained stable revenue. The partnership has contributed to 13,588 employment hours and $375,000 in wages for people leaving prison.

Prisoners Aid built the partnership on a clear belief: steady, reliable work helps people leaving prison stay out of it. Every collection puts that belief into practice.

John Holland and Multicultural Consulting Services: construction careers that fosters diversity and inclusion

John Holland and Multicultural Consulting Services (MCS) started working together in 2017 with one goal: create lasting jobs for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. MCS is a certified social enterprise and licensed labour hire provider. What began as a commitment to inclusive recruitment now spans traineeships, cadetships and casual, part-time and full-time roles nationally.

The partnership supports people well beyond work placement. MCS recruits through trusted community networks, reaching talent that traditional recruitment misses, including in areas where John Holland has no local presence. MCS trains John Holland managers in cultural awareness and checks in with new workers regularly to support them in their roles. MCS also connects workers and their families to counselling, youth programs and cultural workshops. New starters join John Holland's GROW employee network for people in their first five years in construction.

John Holland has employed more than 100 jobseekers through MCS and delivered over 120,000 hours of training and employment. Since 2022, John Holland has spent $5.5 million with MCS across 25 projects in Victoria, South Australia, NSW and Queensland. The outcomes reach far beyond the workforce:

75% of workers placed reported a significant increase in income.
80% said their role offers more job security and career progression than previous work.
60% of managers said these placements improved workforce capability and business performance.
65% of women employed reported more confidence balancing work and family, including women entering construction and transport.

The partnership has strengthened inclusion and belonging and the model has also contributed to more inclusive hiring practices, with 80% of jobseekers affirming that MCS and John Holland play an important role in workplace diversity and inclusion.

Social Traders certification of social enterprise and corporate membership provide credibility, visibility and a trusted pathway for partnerships, helping organisations connect with verified social enterprises to deliver on their social procurement commitments and report on measurable impact.

Lendlease and Meals with Impact: a 24/7 kiosk that turns lunch into paid training

When Lendlease saw how Meals with Impact's workforce training model could help address food insecurity and employment barriers within its urban developments, together they launched what both partners describe as Australia's first Social Impact Kiosk at Melbourne Quarter, now operating at Collins Wharf in Docklands.

The fully automated kiosk runs 24/7 and sells halal-friendly meals inspired by cuisines from North-East Africa to South-East Asia. Women from refugee and migrant backgrounds design, cook and package every meal through a six-month paid training program. They choose the menu because they know the food best. The kiosk gives workers access to culturally appropriate meals in a precinct that previously had few options.

Lendlease hosts the pilot kiosk and champions the initiative across their network, demonstrating how social procurement can drive equity and innovation in urban developments while meeting ESG goals. The kiosk addresses workplace "food deserts" by providing accessible, culturally diverse nutrition where limited options previously existed.

Meals with Impact food kiosk

Lendlease backed an untested model with premium real estate and an 18-month pilot worth $105,473, equating to 7,550 meals sold. That investment has generated $338,568 in social return, a return of $3.21 for every dollar spent.

Eight women completed paid training, delivering 3,382 hours of work-integrated learning. Every participant finished the program, and 84% moved into jobs as Level 2 Kitchen Assistants. One customer summed it up: "Everyone keeps saying how great the meals taste, and colleagues already have their go-to favourite flavours. The best part is that every purchase also supports a meaningful cause."

Meals with Impact now has a blueprint for national rollout, with its sights set on the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Social Traders role as the social enterprise certifier and the connector to corporate and government members, provides strong foundations for partnerships like this to succeed.

What your business can take from these finalists

Each partnership started with a modest contract and grew as corporate buyers kept investing in the quality products and services social enterprises deliver.

Social Traders business and government members that buy from certified social enterprises two years in a row spend 47% more in year two.

These finalists also brought more than just dollars spent. Mirvac shared mentoring, John Holland strengthened its workplace culture and Lendlease offered prime property.

You don't need a national program to start. Choose one contract, one site or one project, and give a certified social enterprise the chance to deliver.

Join Social Traders to turn your organisation’s spend into measurable social impact, backed by Australia's largest network of certified social enterprises and nearly 20 years of experience in social performance.