Driving impact through social procurement - insights, lessons learnt and challenges to growing social procurement in Australia
This session will spotlight on the growing interest in social procurement – whilst $1.1 billion has now been spent with social enterprises over the past 7 years we know there is still more to do. Hear from Tara Anderson and Alex Hooke from Social Traders on how cross sectoral collaboration between social enterprises, corporates, government and philanthropy is helping to drive greater impact through social procurement.
They will be joined by Trent Miller, CEO of Youth Projects, to highlight the critical role social procurement plays in using market behaviour to drive social outcomes through employment for the youth they support.
This session will be an important moment to explore and unpack how philanthropy can support social enterprises to be social procurement contract and consortium ready.
Online event
Details will be provided after the registration is submitted.
Date and time
Wednesday 23 July 2025
12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST (ACT, NSW, QLD, VIC)
11:30am - 12:30pm ACST (NT, SA)
10:00am - 11:00am AWST (WA)
Audience
This event is for Philanthropy Australia Social Enterprise Funders Group members.
We welcome Philanthropy Australia ENGAGE (individual/ organisation) and IMPACT members who are funding or interested in funding social enterprises. Please register or reach out to programs@philanthropy.org.au to sign up to this funders group or to learn more about the philanthropic work in this area.
If you are a CONNECT level member and would like to upgrade to be able to attend funder peer networks, please email membership@philanthropy.org.au.
Not yet a member of Philanthropy Australia? Please reach out to membership@philanthropy.org.au.
Note
Presenters will share their thoughts and views in conversation but will not offer any financial advice.
Speakers
 |
|
Tara Anderson - CEO, Social Traders
Tara is the CEO of Social Traders, a leading industry body for social enterprise and social performance established since 2008. Social Traders certify and support social enterprises to increase trade revenue while also supporting businesses to deliver and report on social performance, the “S” in ESG. Tara has international experience across social enterprise, charities, social innovation and for-purpose intermediaries in the UK, Europe and Australia.
Her career has spanned strategy, business development, innovation, marketing, social impact and cross-sector collaboration at executive and Board level. She holds an MBA and Masters in Social Innovation. She’s passionate about seeing more businesses embed purpose – to create a more equitable and sustainable world, for all of us.
|
 |
|
Alex Hooke - Executive Director of Advocacy and Engagement, Social Traders
Alex is the Executive Director of Advocacy and Engagement at Social Traders. In his role, Alex oversees certification for social enterprises, data and impact measurement as well as relationships with philanthropy and government in efforts to grow the social enterprise sector and social procurement movement nationally.
Alex forges partnerships, advocates for policy changes, and builds networks that empower social enterprises to thrive. His experience and expertise in the sector, coupled with a deep commitment to social change through founding his own social enterprises, gives him a unique perspective on unlocking business for good.
|
 |
|
Trent Miller - CEO, Youth Projects
Trent is a recognised social impact leader and the current CEO of Youth Projects. With a background in scaling inclusive employment programs and work-integration social enterprises, Trent is passionate about breaking cycles of disadvantage and empowering young people. He holds an MBA from Monash Business School and was named the 2023 Outstanding Emerging Leader by the Australian Scholarship Foundation. Trent brings a collaborative, adaptive leadership style to driving sustainable systems change, unlocking economic opportunity, and fostering community-led innovation.
|
Peer Network Co-chairs
 |
|
Belinda Morrissey - Chief Executive Officer, English Family Foundation
Belinda Morrissey is passionate about how we collectively build forward just, sustainable and inclusive economies. She is the CEO of the English Family Foundation, one of the few Australian foundations with a sole focus on driving transformational change through the growth and development of social entrepreneurs and social businesses.
|
| |
|
With deep experience within the Australian social enterprise sector and an extensive leadership background in both corporate and not for profit organisations spanning three continents, Belinda works across sectors to develop systems-based solutions that will mobilize capital and the ecosystems needed to create long term social change both within Australia and globally.
She is the Deputy Chair of Social Enterprise Australia, the national peak body for social enterprise in Australia, and is Co-Chair/Founder of the Social Enterprise Funders Network within Philanthropy Australia. In her personal capacity, she is also Chair of ActionAid Australia.
|
 |
|
Sally McGeoch - Senior Advisor, Westpac Foundation
Sally is a senior advisor at Westpac Foundation, a philanthropic organisation, independent from Westpac Group. Sally works on the design and delivery of grant and capacity building programs for community organisations and social enterprises that create jobs and employment opportunities for Australians facing complex barriers to work.
|
| |
|
Sally has worked at the intersection of philanthropy, business and social enterprise for close to 16 years and is a founding member of The Bread & Butter Project. She is also currently undertaking a practice-based PhD at the Centre for Social Impact Swinburne on the role of cross-sector collaboration in supporting Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISE) to scale.
|
