Law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP has partnered with the UK’s largest network of social enterprises, Social Enterprise UK (SEUK), to enhance its social procurement programme, and to review and increase its engagement with social enterprises as suppliers.

The firm is one of 16 organisations signed up to SEUK’s Social Procurement Connect programme. This service provides resources, tools, and connections to help enhance social procurement programmes, and proactively source goods and services from social enterprises.

"I'm really pleased we're using our spending power for social and environmental good in this way.  As an office of over 700 people, our London business can make a genuine contribution through its procurement," said Rebecca Carter, London managing partner, Stephenson Harwood. "Partnering with SEUK will really help increase our engagement with social enterprises, so we can maximise the positive impact of our spending."

Social enterprises are businesses which use their profits to help tackle pressing social or environmental issues, and the money that companies spend through their supply chains has become a key area in which they can have a positive impact.

SEUK estimates that there are more than 100,000 social enterprises in the UK, contributing £60 billion to UK GDP and employing 2 million people. More than 60% of social enterprises in the UK trade with the private sector, which makes up a significant pool of potential suppliers for organisations looking to embed social value into their core operations.

Visit the Social Enterprise UK website for more information.