Disability Enterprises in your supply chain (Part 2)
NDS launched its BuyAbility initiative in 2016 to promote and secure a thriving supported employment sector – one that produces high-quality products and services and meaningful employment and training opportunities for people with disability.
BuyAbility was designed to increase employment opportunities for people with disability through the promotion, connection and management of socially responsible procurement opportunities for Australian Disability Enterprises with public and private sector buyers.
Since its inception, BuyAbility had facilitated over $40M in contracts for Disability Enterprises resulting in over 1,725 jobs for people with disability. NDS has now transition all BuyAbility contracts to now be directly with the Disability Enterprises.
NDS continues to assist government and corporate sector to buy from Disability Enterprises, including maintaining and updating the Buyability webiste https://buyability.org.au/find/website to help buyers identify and procure from the 600 outlets nationally.
See below for some great Social Procurment in Action examples:
Flagstaff – NSW Government Print & Distribution
Flagstaff Print and Mail has been operating since 2004 and has grown to employ 30 people with a disability. It is now one of the largest Print and Mail businesses in the Wollongong region and the only one that produces braille.
Flagstaff currently provides a significant print on demand service for one of the largest NSW Government agencies.
Sunnyfield – First Aid Kit, Fulfillment, ICT Services
The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment wanted customised first aid and snake bite kits for each of the Department’s 600 car fleet. Sunnyfield Disability Enterprise was able to source, package and distribute these kits to over 500 addresses across the State.
Spinal Cord Injury Australia – Marketing Research
Spinal Cord Injuries Australia’s Disability Enterprise supports people with spinal cord injury & other neurological conditions. The enterprise provides a range of business services, including Telephone market research, Data entry, Transcription Services, Call Centre Support Work & high-level Computer analysis for the Department of Transport involving traffic accident crash coding.
More recently, SCIA have launched the Wheelchair Book & Ride services, a centralised booking service for wheelchair accessible taxis in Sydney, making it easier to secure a ride in a suitable vehicle. All wheelchair accessible taxis are required to be part of the service and is funded by Transport for NSW. https://transportnsw.info/travel-info/ways-to-get-around/taxi-hire-vehicle/wheelchair-book-ride
Wesley Mission – Catering & Events Management
Many disability enterprises provide catering services for corporate events and functions across metropolitan and regional NSW. Wesley Catering from its central Sydney location provides diverse catering options for events and meetings. Wesley Mission also has a great events centre in the heart of Sydney’s CBD that is available to be booked at very reasonable rates.
The NDS BuyAbility Website is a unique landing pad for buyers to find disability enterprises to buy from. Buyers include the government, corporate sector, including corporate social responsibility.
The Website is an important resource searchable by business category and geographical location and provides a search directory of disability enterprises, and provides Social Procurement in Action information, tools, and templates.
For more information, please contact Simon Scrase, Programs Development Manager - BuyAbility, 02 9256 3101, simon.scrase@buyability.org.au
https://buyability.org.au/business, 1300 043 517, enquiries@buyability.com.au
