Web-based platform for social enterprises

By project RaiSE

Published on 18 August 2022

Sweden

Östra Mellansverige

About this good practice

As a way of supporting social enterprises in Örebro county in times of the corona pandemic, Region Örebro County have invested in a web based platform for social enterprises. At the platform, social enterprises in Örebro County have the opportunity to be listed with their products and services, information on which of the Global Goals for Sustainable Development they contribute to.
The platform will provide an opportunity for social enterprises and their products and services to be discovered by public buyers, enterprises who wants to cooperate and do business with social enterprises, as well as by consumers. The impact sought for are more opportunities for social business to be subject to public procurement and more opportunities to do business and sell their products and services. The impact sought for is also to strengthen public buyers in their practical knowledge on social enterprises in the county as well as knowledge on public procurement in practice by being able to take part of good examples (best practice). The platform has been requested and is long awaited in the county.
The platform can be used by public buyers and in public procurement, as well as by enterprises who wants to cooperate or do business with social enterprises perhaps as a part of their CSR work and by anyone who wants to be an aware consumer and support regional social enterprises by buying their products and services.

Resources needed

Resources equivalent to three months' wages to develop the platform. The platform was developed by Coompanion Mälardalen, the primary support organization for social enterprises and social economy in Sweden. This commission is well linked to other missions at Coompanion and their networks.

Evidence of success

The platform was launched in January 2022, and has been requested and is long awaited in the county by both public servants, social enterprises and traditional for-profit enterprises. The platform has actively started to be used by various actors. Other regions in Sweden have also requested the possibility of using the same platform.

Potential for learning or transfer

The platform can be easily copied and used by regions to increase the dissemination and knowledge of the social enterprises' goods and services and how these can be procured.