A model for transforming administrations and social economy – Ateneo

Public procurement is one of the most powerful tools of administrations to influence the economy and have a social impact. When managed by strategic, responsible and solidarity criteria, it becomes a lever of change to foster a fairer and more sustainable development. This model of hiring not only benefits the public sector, but also the entities of the Social and Solidarity Economy (ESS), such as cooperatives, associations and foundations, that work to generate a positive return to society.

This debate comes at a key moment: the Government of Catalonia approved the Bill of the Social and Solidarity Economy on January 21, 2025, with the aim of giving more weight to this sector and facilitating access to public procurement. This legislation reinforces the need for a contracting model that goes beyond economic cost and prioritizing the social and environmental impact.

What does strategic, responsible and solidarity contract mean?

Strategic contracting refers to the use of public procurement as an instrument to promote goals beyond the contracted service: positive environmental impact, quality employment generation, support for vulnerable groups or promoting social innovation.

Within this approach, we are talking about responsible contracting when prioritizing social, environmental and ethical criteria in the contracting processes. This may include, for example:

Give priority to ESS companies and entities in tenders.

Establish social clauses to guarantee decent working conditions.

Incorporate criteria of environmental sustainability in the services and products purchased.

Finally, the solidarity contracting focuses on ensuring that the value generated by public procurement is redistributed for the benefit of society, instead of concentrating only on the economic benefit of large companies.

A legal framework that drives this model

The Bill of the Social and Solidarity Economy of Catalonia, approved by the Government, aims to enhance the sector and give it more prominence in the Catalan economy. This law incorporates various measures to facilitate the access of ESS companies and entities to public procurement, ensuring that the public procurement model contributes to a more equitable economy.

The key points of these regulations include:

🔹 Creation of a register of ESS entities, which will identify which organizations meet the criteria for accessing public contracts.
🔹 Mechanisms to prevent intrusion, ensuring that only the entities that really operate under the values ​​of the ESS can benefit from these processes.
🔹 Promotion of responsible public procurement, facilitating training and tools for the administrations and companies of the ESS so that they can be submitted to public competitions with more guarantees.

This new legal framework reinforces the importance of public procurement as a tool for social transformation and connects directly with the need to enhance responsible and supportive recruitment strategies.

Benefits for public administrations

For public administrations, integrate these principles in the contracting processes allows:

✅ Generate quality and stable employment, supporting companies with democratic management and focused on the common good.
✅ Promote equality of opportunity, making insertion and cooperatives companies access to public contracts.
✅ To strengthen the local economic fabric, favoring SMEs and entities in the territory instead of large multinationals.
✅ Encourage sustainability, betting on suppliers with ecological and responsible criteria.

A good example of this strategy is the incorporation of social and environmental clauses in the contracting specifications, ensuring that the positive impact is an indispensable condition for accessing public competitions.

Opportunities for ESS entities

Cooperatives, associations, foundations and other ESS entities have much to contribute in this contracting model. However, they often find barriers to access to public tender processes. That is why it is essential:

🔹 Receive training and support to understand the mechanisms of public procurement.
🔹 Make a network and intercooper with other entities to submit together to competitions.
🔹 Take advantage of the support tools offered by cooperative Athenians and other entities in the sector.

With the right impulse, public procurement can be a great opportunity to consolidate ESS projects and expand its impact.

Conference to promote this contracting model

With the aim of facilitating the transition to a more strategic, responsible and solidarity contract, the network of municipalities for the social and solidarity economy (XMEESS) and the Network of Athenaeus Cooperatives (XAC) organize two days within the framework of the Center for Studies for the Strategic and Responsible Contracting of Catalonia.

Day for ESS organizations
Date: March 4
⏰ Time: 10 h – 12 h (virtual)
📢 Key topics: Contracting opportunities for ESS companies, resources and training for preparing public tenders.

Day for Public Administrations
🗓 Date: March 11
⏰ Time: 10 h – 12 h (virtual)
📢 Key topics: implementation of social clauses, benefits of responsible contracting and resources to improve their application.

Toward a fairer and more sustainable economy

Strategic, responsible and solidarity hiring is not only a tendency, but also a need to build a more equitable, sustainable economic model and at the service of people.

📩 Open registrations! https://bit.ly/41ypmng

📣 Organize and promote: Xac, Xmess, FACTO COOPERATIVE, Tecnocampus, The co -operative squad Ariadna,

🔎 If you are part of an organization of the ESS or work in a public administration, this is an opportunity to know tools and strategies to implement a more responsible contract!