Social Procurement in Print
Every organisation spends money on print. Brochures, letterheads, annual reports, direct mail, training manuals, event materials. For most procurement managers, print is a routine line item. But the supplier you choose can do considerably more than put ink on paper.
Social procurement is the practice of using purchasing decisions to generate social value alongside commercial outcomes. In the context of print, it means choosing a supplier whose operations create meaningful employment, support inclusion, and contribute to the community. In Australia, this approach is not just ethically sound; for many government agencies and listed corporations, it is increasingly a compliance requirement.
This article explains what social procurement means in practice for print buyers, why it matters, and how to make it work within your existing procurement framework.
What is Social Procurement?
Every organisation spends money on print. Brochures, letterheads, annual reports, direct mail, training manuals, event materials. For most procurement managers, print is a routine line item. But the supplier you choose can do considerably more than put ink on paper.
Social procurement is the practice of using purchasing decisions to generate social value alongside commercial outcomes. In the context of print, it means choosing a supplier whose operations create meaningful employment, support inclusion, and contribute to the community. In Australia, this approach is not just ethically sound; for many government agencies and listed corporations, it is increasingly a compliance requirement.
This article explains what social procurement means in practice for print buyers, why it matters, and how to make it work within your existing procurement framework.
At its core, social procurement asks a simple question: when you have a choice of comparable suppliers, does your decision create value beyond the transaction itself?
Buy and Make an Impact
Why does supplier choice matter in print specifically?
Print is a volume category. Most organisations place multiple print orders every year across a range of products and services, from everyday stationery through to high-volume direct mail campaigns and corporate publications. That consistent spend, directed intentionally, represents a genuine opportunity to generate social impact at scale.
Choosing a social enterprise printer over a conventional commercial supplier does not require accepting a compromise on quality or service. Social enterprise printers operate in a competitive market and must deliver to the same professional standards as any other supplier. The difference is where the value of that spend flows once the job is done.
When you choose a printer like Flagstaff, your spending supports inclusive employment for people with disabilities, funds life skills programs, and contributes toa business model that demonstrates inclusion is compatible with commercial excellence. That is a genuine outcome, not a marketing claim.
The legislative and policy landscape for social procurement in Australia
Understanding the policy environment helps procurement managers make the case internally and satisfy compliance requirements. Here is a summary of the key frameworks relevant to print procurement in Australia.
NSW Government
Under the Public Works and Procurement Regulation 2019, Clause 5, a government agency may, with approval, procure goods and services from a disability employment organisation, by passing standard competitive tendering requirements. This provision makes it significantly easier for NSW agencies to direct spend to suppliers like Flagstaff without lengthy tender processes.
The Public Sector Employment and Management (Goods and Services) Regulation 2010, Clause 27(1), further confirms that a public sector agency may obtain goods or services supplied by an approved disability employment organisation without reference to the Board or the procedures prescribed by the Regulation.
Disability Inclusion Act 2014
Under the Disability Inclusion Act 2014, all NSW state and local government departments and agencies are required to develop a Disability Inclusion Action Plan. Most plans identify social procurement as one area where agencies can make meaningful progress. Engaging a printer that employs people with disabilities is a direct and demonstrable action toward that plan.
Commonwealth and other states
At the Commonwealth level, the Commonwealth Procurement Rules require consideration of value for money in its broadest sense, including social and economic benefits. The Commonwealth also administers the Indigenous Procurement Policy and the Australian Disability Enterprises (ADE) supplier framework, which encourage agencies to direct spending to ADEs for eligible categories.
Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia all have their own social procurement frameworks with varying requirements and targets. If your organisation operates across multiple states, it is worth reviewing which frameworks apply and how print spend can contribute to your overall social procurement reporting.
What types of print spend count toward social procurement targets?
The good news for procurement managers is that the scope for qualifying spend is broad. When you engage a verified social enterprise or Australian Disability Enterprise for print, most standard categories of print expenditure can count toward your social procurement reporting, including:
- Commercial printing - brochures, flyers, posters, and catalogues
- Corporate and financial documents - annual reports, publications, and stakeholder communications
- Office stationery - letterheads, business cards, and envelopes
- Books and training materials - manuals, workbooks, and yearbooks
- Direct mail and bulk mail - campaigns through an integrated print and mail service
- Accessible format production - Braille transcription and printing
- Promotional materials - event materials, name badges, and pull-up banners
At Flagstaff, our full range of print products and services is eligible for social procurement reporting. This means you can consolidate your print spend with a single supplier and maximise the social value generated, without managing multiple vendor relationships.
Beyond compliance: the broader business case for social procurement in print
Meeting a policy requirement is a legitimate reason to act. But the business case for social procurement extends well beyond compliance, and understanding these broader benefits helps make the case to senior stakeholders.
Reputation and brand alignment
Organisations that can demonstrate genuine social impact through their procurement decisions are increasingly valued by customers, employees, and stakeholders. In a competitive environment for talent and public trust, being able to point to concrete, verifiable outcomes, such as the number of jobs supported for people with disability through your supply chain, carries real weight.
Disability Inclusion Action Plan progress
For government agencies and large organisations with formal Disability Inclusion Action Plans, social procurement spend is one of the most straightforward ways to demonstrate progress. Each print job commissioned with a disability employment enterprise is a quantifiable action that can be reported in DIAP reviews and annual reports.
Supplier performance and reliability
Social enterprises that depend on the quality of their work to sustain their mission tend to take quality seriously. Flagstaff has built long-term relationships with clients, including NSW Government agencies, BlueScope, ACAP University College, Hireup, and Peoplecare, who have worked with us for over a decade precisely because our commercial performance matches our social credentials.
Cost efficiency
Directing spend to an approved disability employment organisation under NSW Government procurement regulations can actually streamline the procurement process by removing the requirement for competitive tendering in eligible categories. This reduces administrative overhead and accelerates the time from need to delivery.
How to get started with social procurement print in your organisation
Shifting print spend toward social procurement does not require a wholesale restructure of your supplier panel. Here are practical steps to get started.
1. Review your current print spend
Map your annual print expenditure by category, volume, and current supplier. Identify which categories are suitable for transition to a social enterprise supplier, starting with categories where the specification is straightforward and volumes are manageable.
2. Verify your supplier's credentials
Not all suppliers who claim a social or ethical purpose are verified social enterprises or registered Australian Disability Enterprises. Look for formal verification through bodies such as Social Traders, the Australian Disability Enterprises framework, or NDIS registration. Flagstaff Print, Mail & Digital is averified social enterprise and NDIS registered, providing clear evidence for your procurement records.
3. Understand the applicable exemptions
If your organisation is an NSW Government agency, familiarise yourself with the exemptions available under Clause 5 of the Public Works and Procurement Regulation 2019. These provisions allow you to engage Flagstaff directly for print, mail, and fulfilment services without a competitive tender, significantly simplifying your procurement process.
4. Set up reporting
Establish how you will capture and report social procurement spend. Most frameworks require suppliers to provide evidence of their social enterprise status and the nature of their social impact. Flagstaff can provide documentation to support your internal reporting requirements.
5. Start with a pilot project
If you are new to social procurement, starting with a defined project, such as your next direct mail campaign, a print run of training materials, or your annual report, is a low-risk way to assess capability and build confidence before transitioning broader spend. Contact our team to discuss your requirements, and we will work with you to make the transition straightforward.
Flagstaff: a social procurement partner built for the long term
Flagstaff Print, Mail & Digital is a registered Australian Disability Enterprise and a verified social enterprise operating under The Flagstaff Group in Wollongong, NSW. We provide a full range of commercial print, bulk mail, fulfilment and warehousing, online print management, and Braille and accessible format services to government, corporate, and not-for-profit clients across Australia.
We were recognised with the Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion award at the 2025 IMB Illawarra Business Awards, reflecting the values that underpin everything we do. Our clients stay with us not because of the award, but because we deliver. Every time.
If you are ready to explore how your organisation's print spend can generate real social value, we would welcome the opportunity to have a conversation. Call us on 02 42720257 or contact our team online to discuss your social procurement requirements.
Frequently asked questions
What is social procurement in Australia?
Social procurement is the use of purchasing and contracting decisions to generate social, economic, or environmental value alongside the delivery of goods or services. In Australia, social procurement frameworks exist at the federal, state, and territory levels, requiring or encouraging government agencies and large organisations to direct spend toward suppliers that create measurable social benefits, including disability employment enterprises and certified social enterprises.
Does Flagstaff qualify as a social procurement supplier?
Yes. Flagstaff Print, Mail & Digital is a registered Australian Disability Enterprise and a verified social enterprise. This means organisations can count Flagstaff spend toward their social procurement targets and, for NSW Government agencies, access procurement exemptions under Clause 5 of the Public Works and Procurement Regulation 2019. Learn more on our social procurement page.
Can NSW Government agencies procure from Flagstaff without a tender?
Yes. Under the Public Works and Procurement Regulation 2019, Clause 5, NSW Government agencies may procure goods and services from an approved disability employment organisation without following the standard competitive tendering process. Flagstaff is an approved disability employment organisation, making direct engagement straightforward for eligible agencies.
What print products and services does Flagstaff offer?
Flagstaff offers a full range of commercial print products, including brochures, flyers, annual reports, business cards, manuals, and event materials, as well as bulk mail services, fulfilment and warehousing, Braille printing, and online print management. All services are eligible for social procurement reporting.
How does Flagstaff support disability employment?
Flagstaff Print, Mail & Digital operates as a social enterprise under The Flagstaff Group, which provides inclusive employment and life skills programs for people with disability. Every commercial job completed by Flagstaff directly supports this mission. Read more on our about page.
How do I report social procurement spend with Flagstaff?
Flagstaff can provide documentation confirming our status as a verified social enterprise and registered Australian Disability Enterprise, along with spend summaries to support your internal reporting. Contact our team to discuss your specific reporting requirements, and we will make sure you have what you need.
Flagstaff Print, Mail & Digital is a full-service commercial print, mail and fulfilment business based in Wollongong, NSW. We are a registered Australian Disability Enterprise and a verified social enterprise, serving government, corporate and not-for-profit clients across Australia.