Buy Social Canada

What Buy Social Canada does

Buy Social Canada is a national, women-led social enterprise headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, with team members also based in Ontario. The company operates as both a Community Contribution Company (CCC) and a Not-for-Profit Corporation, with the CCC in the process of becoming fully employee owned. All CCC profits are reinvested into free events, open-source resources, advocacy, and engagement. Its core function is to serve as the national access point for social procurement — connecting certified social enterprises and social value suppliers with government, corporate, and institutional purchasers — and to provide the consulting, certification, training, research, and community infrastructure that operationalizes social procurement in Canada.

The company's service portfolio comprises Social Enterprise Certification (a Canada-wide verification standard with revenue-tiered annual fees), Social Purchasing Partnerships (tiered membership programs starting at $3,000/year), Consulting (policy design, implementation, RFx development, and stakeholder engagement), Community Benefits in Construction (CBA design and independent third-party monitoring), Training (the Social Procurement Professional Certificate at $499–$585 per participant, plus private cohorts at $7,500), Research, and Engagement events such as the Community of Practice and regional roundtables. BCSPI — the British Columbia Social Procurement Initiative — is a flagship program serving 44+ local governments as a shared learning hub, and has facilitated over $750 million in social and sustainable value spending. Technology is deliberately light: value is delivered through human expertise, proprietary frameworks (the Buy Social Journey: Learn, Engage, Policy, Action, Measure, Lead), templates, directories, and open-source guides rather than a software platform. Select customers include the Government of British Columbia, City of Vancouver, City of Toronto, City of Calgary, City of Winnipeg, Employment and Social Development Canada, SAP Canada, PCL Construction, and Simon Fraser University.

Buy Social Canada makes money through four primary revenue streams: (1) professional services consulting billed as custom packages or hourly rates; (2) recurring annual memberships for Social Purchasing Partners and BCSPI members; (3) recurring revenue-tiered Social Enterprise Certification fees ($100–$2,500/year, first year free); and (4) one-time training fees for Professional Certificate cohorts, supplier storytelling programs, and custom corporate training. Distribution is direct, sales-led, and community-led: the company grows through consulting relationships with government and enterprise clients, community-building events, content marketing, expert speaking, and a national directory that matches certified suppliers with social purchasers. Strategic partnerships with the Social Enterprise World Forum (global People and Planet First verification), Sarah Aspinall / BGSD Consulting, and a network of regional collaborators extend its reach without significant headcount expansion.

Name

Buy Social Canada

Legal name

Buy Social Canada

Website

https://buysocialcanada.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Buy Social Canada is a national, women-led social enterprise providing social procurement consulting, certification, training, and community programs that connect Canadian government, business, and institutional purchasers with certified social enterprises and social value suppliers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Procurement Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community/Group Buying Social Commerce (CRAFANAH)

Keywords

• Social procurement consulting
• Social enterprise certification
• Community benefits advisory
• Supplier diversity training
• Procurement policy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Social procurement consulting for public and private sectors including policy design, implementation, community benefits in construction, and stakeholder engagement. Billed as custom packages or hourly rates.
2. Social Purchasing Partnerships: Annual membership programs (Engage Member at $3,000/year, custom Buy Social Leader packages) providing exclusive access to training, consulting support, quarterly events, and supplier connections.
3. Social Enterprise Certification: Certification for social enterprises with revenue-based annual fees: under $500K = $100, $500K-$1M = $200, $1M-$15M = $300, above $15M = $2,500. First year free.
4. Training Programs: Professional Certificate courses ($499-$585), custom training packages, and supplier training programs. One-time course fees and cohort-based training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Buy Social Canada is a national social enterprise that delivers social procurement consulting, social enterprise certification, training programs, and community benefits advisory services. It connects verified social enterprises with government, corporate, and institutional purchasers, and supports organizations in designing and implementing social procurement policies and frameworks across Canada.

Product overview

Buy Social Canada is a national, women-led social enterprise offering a platform of interconnected services focused on social procurement and social enterprise certification. The core portfolio consists of Social Enterprise Certification (a Canada-wide verification standard), Social Purchasing Partnerships (tiered membership for purchasers), Consulting (policy and implementation advisory), Community Benefits in Construction (CBA design and monitoring), Training (Professional Certificate and supplier readiness programs), Research, Engagement (events and roundtables), and the BCSPI initiative for BC local governments. These services work together to connect purchase-driven purchasers with social value suppliers, providing the complete ecosystem needed for social procurement implementation—from certification and training through to policy design, contract requirements, and outcome measurement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• $750 million+ in social/sustainable value spending facilitated through BCSPI
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sarah Aspinall / BGSD Consulting CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped Social Procurement Professional Certificate program in partnership with Sarah Aspinall, former Director of Supply Management at City of Calgary and driving force behind Benefit Driven Procurement. Sarah provides ongoing expertise in social and sustainable procurement advisory services.
• Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuy Social Canada is the Canadian partner of People and Planet First, a global verification led by SEWF that amplifies the social enterprise movement. Certified Social Enterprises are eligible for People and Planet First Verified status.
• BCSPI Members (44+ local governments)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCSPI serves as shared learning hub for over 44 local governments and public purchasers across British Columbia, providing capacity building, training, tools, and expertise to integrate social procurement.
• Anna BubelminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPart of Buy Social Canada's trusted consulting network bringing local, community-based knowledge and specialized expertise to support delivery of consulting work.
• Scale CollaborativeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPart of Buy Social Canada's trusted consulting network bringing local, community-based knowledge and specialized expertise to support delivery of consulting work.
• Collaborators NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term collaborators including CCEDNET-rcdec.ca, Tapestry Capital, The ONN, Canada Co-op, CSED Ottawa, SETSI, Loco BC, Momentum, ECPAR, SEDA, Community Impact Real Estate, Pillar Nonprofit, Chantier, Scale Collaborative, and others working to advance social enterprise and procurement.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Social Enterprise UK: UK national body for social enterprise, including the Buy Social initiative that pioneered social procurement marketplaces and supplier verification. Most direct international analogue to Buy Social Canada.
• Social Value International: Global network advancing Social Return on Investment (SROI) and social value principles in commissioning and procurement. Operates a certification/assurance framework and member network overlapping with Buy Social Canada's buyer-supplier certification focus.
• Buy Social USA: US counterpart operating social procurement marketplace and supplier directory. Closest geographic peer in terms of marketplace model connecting certified social enterprises with institutional purchasers.
• CCEDNET — Canadian Community Economic Development Network: National Canadian CED network listed as a Buy Social Canada collaborator. Operates overlapping programs in social enterprise support, procurement advocacy, and community economic development policy.

Regional players

• Momentum (Calgary): Calgary-based social enterprise and community economic development organization and Buy Social Canada collaborator. Comparable social enterprise capacity-building services in Alberta.
• Chantier de l'économie sociale: Quebec's flagship social economy network and Buy Social Canada collaborator. Comparable mission around social enterprise recognition and collective procurement, but serves a distinct provincial market.
• The Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN): Ontario nonprofit umbrella and Buy Social Canada collaborator. Comparable nonprofit capacity-building and advocacy in Ontario, overlapping on social procurement policy work.

Emerging players

• Social Procurement Canada Project (Tapestry Capital / Buy Social Canada): National initiative co-led by Buy Social Canada and Tapestry Capital (listed collaborator) to scale social procurement. Adjacent rather than directly competitive but operates in the same policy and standards space.
• Impact Hub: Global network of impact-focused incubators and social enterprise community hubs. Adjacent in serving social enterprises with capacity building and network access, though with a different (incubator/workspace) model.

Broad incumbents

• Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF): Global social enterprise convener and steward of the People and Planet First verification — Buy Social Canada's direct partner. Provides international standards linkage and convening across the same social-enterprise ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BuySocialCanada
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCTPi2p15CaaPRaP8lIdH0pw
• Facebookfacebook.com/buysocialcanada.ca
• LinkedInca.linkedin.com/company/buy-social-canada-ccc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Buy Social Canada