Social Procurement
In 2018 the Victorian Government determined that it had an opportunity to use its buying power to enter into procurement contracts that could make a real difference to all Victorians.
As a result, the Social Procurement Framework (SPF) was released, encouraging organisations to use their buying power to generate social and/or sustainable value above and beyond the value of the goods, services or construction being procured.
Building Equality Policy
The Victorian Government has implemented the Building Equality Policy to create training and employment opportunities for women through government procurement on building, infrastructure, civil engineering any other capital works projects.
The policy is implemented through the Social Procurement Framework and aligns with the Women’s equality and safety objective.
The policy applies to all publicly funded construction projects that meet the following requirements:
- Valued at $20 million or more (excluding GST).
- Request for Tenders released after 1 January 2022.
In the 2022-2023 calendar years, the BEP was subject to a two-year transitional compliance period, which has been extended by six months to allow non-compliance to be managed through education and awareness.
Visit the ICN Building Equality Policy webpage.
Reporting requirements
Reporting will be captured in the Victorian Management Centre.
The Victorian Government worked with the ICN Victoria to develop a joint reporting platform that is used for the LJF and SPF policies, including BEP.
Social procurement objectives
1. Opportunities for Victorian Aboriginal people
2. Opportunities for Victorians with disability
3. Women’s equality and safety
4. Opportunities for priority jobseekers
5. Supporting safe and fair workplaces
6. Sustainable Victorian social enterprise and Aboriginal business sectors
7. Sustainable Victorian regions
Sustainable procurement objectives
8. Environmentally sustainable outputs
9. Environmentally sustainable business practices
10. Implementation of the Climate Change Policy Objectives
Responding to tenders
The policy requires suppliers to undertake the following:
- Action 1: Meet project specific gender equality targets.
- Action 2: Engage women as apprentices, trainees and cadets.
- Action 3: Implement gender equality action plans (GEAPs).
Tenderers are required to address how they will meet or exceed the targets in Action 1 and Action 2 and submit the following with their tender for Action 3:
- an Organisation Wide Gender Equality Action Plan.
- a Project Specific Gender Equality Action Plan.
When responding to tenders that have Building Equality Policy targets, Tenderers must:
- Provide their responses in the Response Schedules.
- Provide commitments in the Social Procurement Commitment Proposal.
Targets:
- Trade covered labour: women are required to perform at least 3% of the total estimated hours of work for each trade position.
- Non-trade Construction Award covered labour: women are required to perform at least 7 % of the total estimated hours of work for each non-trade Construction Award covered labour position.
- Management/supervisory and specialist labour (staff): women are required to perform at least 35 % of the total estimated hours of work for each management/supervisory and specialist labour (staff) position.
- Contractors must engage women as apprentices and trainees for at least 4% of the contract works’ total estimated labour hours.
An occupation list for each category is located on the Buying for Victoria website.
ICN Victoria Social
Procurement Program
The ICN Social Procurement Program supports SPF to deliver Victorian employment and economic outcomes. The program supports Agencies and industry working on projects and procurement with the requirement for local, social and sustainable outcomes by increasing awareness and education, maximising Victorian supply chain engagement and Victorian jobs as well as providing local, social and sustainable data insights through our flagship system, VMC.
Social Procurement in Action
Industry Advisers
Building Equality Policy Industry Adviser
Janelle Williams
Janelle commenced at ICN Victoria in 2022 and is keen to provide guidance on the Building Equality Policy to SMEs and learning more about the Social Procurement Framework. Janelle comes to us from Northern Health where she was the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Adviser and COVID workforce lead. Janelle has worked with the Victorian Government in their Department of Health and Human Services as a Freedom of Information Advisor and a Policy Officer, including working in the Medicinal Cannabis Taskforce. She holds a bachelor’s degree, focused in law from Monash University and has a strong relationship building and public policy background.
Connect with Janelle on LinkedIn
Social Procurement Framework and Local Jobs First Reporting
Reporting requirements
Reporting will be captured in the Victorian Management Centre.
The Victorian Government worked with the ICN Victoria to develop a joint reporting platform that is used for the LJF and SPF policies, including BEP.