We are delighted to launch our impactful business support programme, Purchase Power, in partnership with Social Investment Scotland (SIS). This is an opportunity for social enterprises with products, services and experiences to sell to connect with corporates seeking to develop their social and environmental impact.
The Buy Social ‘Purchase Power’ Programme is delivered over monthly sessions starting in November facilitated by SIS Associate Rachael Brown.
It builds towards an intensive three-day corporate matchmaking style Bootcamp, delivered in February 2024, which provides the opportunity to meet corporate buyers actively seeking to work with impact-led organisations.
You will also hear from high-calibre subject experts from B2B, commercial contract, and procurement settings. These sessions help social enterprises develop the skills to win contracts, pitch, and refine their products, services and experiences at facilitated corporate ‘matchmaking’ events.
Who is this programme for?
Social enterprises based in Scotland with products, services, and experiences that can be delivered through local, national and international corporate relationships.
Watch up with our taster session here.
Apply to join the cohort by the 8th November – space strictly limited.
Apply todayDates and Times
All sessions are delivered online.
9 October, 4pm - 5pm
Taster Session: What is Buy Social Purchase Power and how do I apply?
Join an information session with SIS Associate, Rachael Brown to hear about the Buy Social Purchase Power Programme co-designed by SIS and Social Enterprise Scotland.
In this session, you will hear about:
- The Buy Social Purchase Power Programme and participating corporate partners.
- Success stories, from Social Enterprises supported by SIS that have gone on to win major commercial contracts to deliver products, services, and experiences to corporate partners.
- How to apply and the selection criteria for the 2023/24 programme cohort.
15 November 10am - 11.30am
Session One: Getting to Know You - Rachael Brown
Purchase Power brings together a cohort of ambitious social entrepreneurs each shaping products, services and experiences for local, national and international markets. Get to know the power of peer support networks, in this first ‘getting to know you’ session, facilitated by Associate, Rachael Brown.
w/c 27 November
Corporate Coffee Breaks
Hour-long bookable online sessions with Rachael Brown · 8am Coffee Breaks: 30-minute online coffee mornings and some bookable slots with a corporate.
Informal chats led by Kieran and/or Rachael with a corporate who explains what they do and what they look for in term of selecting contracts with their environmental, social and governance aims in mind. · Business Support one-to-ones: What commercial goals are you striving for? Rachael will meet with each of the cohort to help set your goals, identify your commercial targets, and develop messaging to engage your target corporates and customers.
29 November, 10am - 11.30am
Session Two: Horizon Scanning and Targeting Contracts – Don’t waste your Time! - Chloe Cannon
Horizon Scanning with SIS Associate Chloe Cannon: Don’t waste time tendering for contracts that you are unlikely to win. Learn how to horizon scan, target contract opportunities and identify where to invest your time, and where to simply say no.
24 January, 10am - 11.30am
Session Three: Getting in Front of Decision Makers and Perfecting Bids and Pitches - Chloe Cannon
Meaningful Meetings and Winning Words with SIS Associate Chloe Cannon: Securing the right meetings with buyers and purchasers, and effectively communicating your product, service or experience to meet their needs is an art form.
The use of precise language is needed when writing contract tenders with limited word counts. Learn how to write winning tenders and stop wasting time competing for contracts that are not right for you.
20th February, 10am - 12.30pm and group session 1:30pm - 3:30 pm
Session Four: Social and Environmental Impact and Purchasing
Further prep on Corporate Matchmaking Profit with Impact: Consumers and corporate purchasers alike understand that spending with positive societal and environmental benefit is not only the right thing to do, in the modern business world, it drives profits too. In this session, learn from our participating corporate partners why Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices are pivotal to their buying decisions, and why your social enterprise could be the obvious win:win solution for a commercial contract.
21st February, 10am - 12.30pm, 2pm - 4.30pm
Session Five: New Product Development and Trends – Margaret McSorley Walker
Margaret McSorley Walker is a Trends and New Product Development expert, and in this session, she will guide you through processes to innovate and test new products, services and experiences, for various customer and consumer markets. In the second half of this session, you’ll hear about customer and consumer trends for 2025 and beyond.
22nd February, 10am - 12.30pm
Session Six: Corporate Matchmaking Day
The main event! A day of matchmaking with Wates Group, Holland & Barrett, eBay, Assembly Festival, ASDA, Historic Environment Scotland, Abrdn and many more. Refine your pitch and secure your relationships/contracts.
8th March, 10am - 12.30pm
Session Seven: Sticking to the mission whilst doing deals - Ynzo van Zanten
Join us for Ynzo Van Zanten, former Chief Evangelist for Tony's Chocolonely, and all-around inspiration when it comes to purpose-driven business. This session will focus on staying true to your mission, whilst raising investment, attracting customers and creating impact at a global level.
Confirmed corporate buyers
Speakers
As part of the programme you will hear from expert speakers who will deliver a range of masterclasses that dig deep into topics such as Trends, ESG and delivering the perfect pitch. Read our amazing speaker line-up below!
Programme Facilitator - Rachael Brown, CEO of Creative Entrepreneurs Club
Rachael is a SIS Associate and CEO of Creative Entrepreneurs Club.
The Creative Entrepreneurs Club’s focus is to enable creative and social impacts to be at the heart of our economy, which is now more relevant than ever. Rachael is experienced in supporting purpose-driven businesses and creative enterprises to flourish and grow. Rachael is an active female leader and is proud to lead an all-female team.
Rachael is our programme facilitator.
Read Rachael's profile
Kieran Daly, Head of Market Building, Social Investment Scotland
Kieran started his career as a youth worker at The Prince’s Trust, devising and delivering training programmes. He has held senior management roles in business development for a range of arts, volunteering and youth organisations for over 15 years.
Kieran was Chief Operating Officer at food waste and food poverty fighting organisation, FoodCycle. While there, he grew the organisation’s presence from 14 to 30 locations around England in under two years, through a social franchising model.
Most recently, Kieran was Scotland Manager for Big Issue Invest, where he delivered a multi-agency partnership, engaging the private, public and third sectors in mentoring and lending money to early-stage social ventures. He is a keen cyclist who enjoys giving back by being on the Board of Social Enterprise Scotland and Impact Arts.
Margaret McSorley Walker
Margaret is a trends specialist and recognised industry expert in the fields of product development and innovation. She is a director of the food service business, Scotch Cross and has decades of experience in leading product development for brands such as Greencore, McCain, and Asda where she was Head of Innovation. Margaret has also established a brand of uniquely Scottish pasta – Galloway Scottish Pasta - with an aim to reduce food miles, create something more local, and bring manufacturing skills back to Scotland. At Bootcamp, Margaret will help identify current and future trends and demonstrate how tapping into them can be used to build business advantage.
Ynzo van Zanten
Ynzo van Zanten is speaker, author, entrepreneur and former ‘Chief Evangelist’ and 'Head of People & Culture' at the Dutch impact company Tony’s Chocolonely. In the past his entrepreneurial ambitions drove him to set up Innocent Drinks in the Benelux. Ynzo also taught ‘Sustainable Leadership & Entrepreneurship’ at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, and was a guest lecturer at the University of Amsterdam and TU Delft. In his spare time Ynzo sits on the boards of the ’10.000 Hours’ and ‘Plastic Whale’ foundations.
According to Ynzo: “Future ready entrepreneurship is not just about purposeful business, but about how to thrive in the post-purpose era, and how to be on top of your game in 21st century capitalism. No B2B or B2C, but Human to Human; H2H economics. It’s about disruptive marketing, and about amazing teams. It’s about embracing vulnerability. About radical transparency. And all without using the word KPI’s or HR a single time.”
Read Ynzo's profile
Chloe Cannon, SIS Associate
Chloe Cannon is a qualified solicitor who has worked with both SMEs and FTSE listed companies in commercial and strategy leadership roles across the engineering, energy and defence sectors. She has supported leadership teams with development and execution of corporate and commercial strategy. She has worked all over the world including Singapore, Australia and India, supporting multi-million pounds tenders, commercial contracts negotiations and procurement activities. She has also been involved in multiple special corporate projects including Mergers & Acquisitions, partnerships and real estate developments.
Chloe is passionate about using her corporate and commercial skills to support impact driven organisations to successfully develop and deliver their strategies to deliver maximum impact.
Next steps
Apply to join the cohort by the 8th of November – space strictly limited.