Social Procurement and Social Impact Consulting for Government
Whether it's social procurement strategy, inclusive economic development or grant program design, I work with government teams to create real social value - and make sure it's practical, measurable and sustainable.
With 25 years of business experience - including nearly three years inside Victorian state government - and deep expertise across the social enterprise, non-profit and corporate sectors, I understand the compliance landscape, the reporting requirements and the pace of government. But I also know the social sector well enough to design programs and strategies that work on the ground, not just on paper.
I work with departments, agencies, infrastructure projects and local councils on things like building or strengthening social procurement, designing inclusive employment programs, mapping the social enterprise landscape to inform economic development planning, and making sure grant programs are investing where they'll have the most impact.
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Social procurement strategy: developing and implementing social procurement strategies, measuring social procurement impact and reporting against the Victorian Government Social Procurement Framework
Inclusive economic development: developing strategies and frameworks that strengthen local economies, support activity centres and help businesses thrive — connecting economic development with social enterprise, local employment and community outcomes
Social enterprise strategy: mapping the social enterprise landscape in your area and developing strategies to grow social enterprise as part of your inclusive economic development or community development objectives
Social enterprise capability building: designing and implementing programs to strengthen the capacity of social enterprises in your community or supply chain
Inclusive employment strategy and programs: designing and implementing initiatives to increase employment opportunities for people experiencing disadvantage, including mentoring programs for diverse cohorts
Diversity, equity and inclusion: strategies, programs and training to embed inclusion across your organisation, with a specialty in gender equity
Grant program design, review and assessment: creating effective grant programs, reviewing existing programs for greater impact, and supporting assessment panels to make confident, evidence-based funding decisions
Purpose-led business and entrepreneurship programs: designing and delivering programs for local businesses, startups, social enterprises and creative practitioners in your community
Social procurement training, facilitation and workshops: building your team's capability in social procurement and social impact, and helping purpose-led suppliers navigate government procurement, contracts and tenders
Case studies
Banyule City Council had been running three separate strategies covering economic development, social enterprise and inclusive local jobs. It decided to consolidate them into a single Inclusive Economy Strategy, as the three teams behind them were merged into one.
I was engaged to turn an extensive evidence base, including consultation data from more than 200 sources, into a five-year strategy, action plan and monitoring framework.
A key part of the work was looking past the headline figures: disaggregating employment data by suburb and by demographic cohort revealed disparities the municipality-wide numbers had hidden, and those insights shaped the strategy’s priorities.
Council endorsed the strategy in May 2026, with a target of 4,000 inclusive economic opportunities over five years.
The transport sector has long been one of Australia's most male-dominated industries, with women making up just 28% of the workforce. When the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning set an ambitious target of 50% female representation as part of its Women in Transport Strategy, it needed programs that could drive real culture change. In my role at the Department, I led two flagship initiatives: the Women in Transport Mentoring Program and the Leadership Development Scholarships. Mentoring engagement increased by 235%, and 95% of scholarship participants reported career progression as a direct result.
Image: HiVis Pictures courtesy of LXRP
Knox City Council wanted to understand its local social enterprise landscape and explore opportunities to embed social procurement into everyday operations. Through my consulting work at Social Traders, I led a social enterprise mapping and market analysis delivering a supplier directory, a social procurement workshop, a current state assessment, financial modelling showing potential for a significant increase in social procurement spend over four years, and job creation modelling estimating up to 23 positions for people experiencing disadvantage.
Curious about working with me?
If you’re interested in exploring how we might work together, let’s schedule a call to see if I can support your goals.
Book a free phone or video call, where you can share more about your organisation, goals and the project or support you’re looking for.
I’ll talk you through the services I offer and you’ll have the chance to ask any questions about how we might work together.