‘Social procurement’ will hold sway for city contracts

City of Edmonton officials are hoping to give preferential access to city contracts to companies who are willing to help people struggling on the margins get back in the workforce.

Council’s executive committee approved a pilot project Monday in what’s called “social procurement” — a system of awarding contracts that gives extra points to companies that show their work also serves a larger public good.

For example, the city gave its mattress recycling contract to the business development arm of the Jasper Place Wellness Centre. For the same price as other for-profit businesses, the centre puts people who recently experienced homelessness to work, tearing apart mattresses and learning job skills.

The exact rules around social procurement are still being worked out, including how to ensure fairness and transparency. Those will be worked out through the pilot project, said Roxanne Kits, city branch manager for corporate services.

That’s important, said Coun. Mike Nickel, who said he supports this concept. “It’s really important to build a social licence for this to go forward.”

The committee embraced the pilot project unanimously. Officials are hoping to have the pilot project completed by spring 2019, with a policy coming back to council before the end of 2019.

City administration also looked at the possibility of giving preference to local companies but said trade agreements prevent that.