Buy Social Europe B2B consortium published a Meet the Buyer Event Guide – a comprehensive report, with proven tips and success stories on how to facilitate trade relationships and partnerships between mainstream enterprises (buyers) and social enterprises (suppliers) across Europe, including Smart Kolektiv as a a good practice example.
Developing a robust social procurement B2B market involves connecting mainstream enterprises (buyers) with social enterprises (suppliers). ‘Meet the Buyer’ events are an excellent way to do this. Their central feature is a series of short pitches from social enterprises to mainstream enterprises, but they can also include additional elements, allowing buyers and suppliers to directly exchange information about existing products and services.
Led by true social procurement pioneers, Social Enterprise UK (SEUK), Buy Social Europe B2B has created a ‘Meet the Buyer Guide’. It builds on years of experience and multiple events hosted by SEUK and other consortium partners and provides a set of steps for a successful event.
Included in the guide are real life examples of different event formats, and successful events hosted by Social Enterprise NL (SENL) in the Netherlands, Social Entrepreneurship Netzwerk Deutschland (SEND) in Germany, Smart Kolektiv in Serbia and more.
Explore the full Meet the Buyer Best Practice Guide here.
Recognizing the importance of cross-sector partnerships for sustainable socio-economic development, Smart Kolektiv initiates and promotes active and open communication among representatives of all sectors, guided by the principles of social responsibility and cross-sector partnership. Over the past 20 years, through various platforms such as the CSR Forum, Social Innovation Forum, and Partnership Fair, we have provided opportunities for over 200 organizations and social enterprises to connect with mainstream enterprises.
Buy Social Europe B2B empowers social and mainstream enterprises to find each other and forge sustainable trade partnerships, aiming to take the social procurement movement in Europe to the next level. The transnational initiative is co-funded by the European Comission and SAP, and unites in one movement 23 partners from 17 countries, including Smart Kolektiv.
