Social Enterprises and the Private Sector Supply Chain
Monday, March 14, 2011
Big business is supplied by big business, and breaking into the plc supply chain is beyond most small companies. Or so is the received wisdom. But recently, a number of heavyweight corporate names, including 02 and accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), have expressed an interest in using social enterprises as suppliers.
The latest to do so is building giant Wates, which last week published a paper outlining its ambition to make social enterprises “an integral part” of its supply chain, and urging other corporates to do the same.
The company is committed to involving at least one social enterprise on every construction project as “strategic partners, or preferred or approved suppliers”.
“They work very closely with a few social enterprises, rather than ’splurging’,” says Cliff Prior, chief executive of UnLtd. “It allows them to build a realistic business relationship over time.
