Join us in creating a self-sustaining and circular future for Canada.
What is procure4circular?
Welcome to Procure4Circular! We are excited to introduce a ground-breaking initiative that harnesses the potential of public procurement to drive the transition to a circular economy in Canada. With the circular economy presenting a 4.5 trillion-dollar economic opportunity for our country, we believe that public procurement is the key to unlocking this prosperity.
In Canada alone, with a $1.9 trillion GDP, $400 billion is spent on procurement, with approximately $320 billion occurring at the municipal level. This puts governments in a unique position to leverage procurement as a catalyst for market transformation, innovation, and sustainable supply chains.
However, despite the immense potential, the power of procurement remains largely untapped. Many public sector professionals recognize the opportunity to strategically use procurement to achieve economic, social, and environmental gains, but they often lack the necessary tools, resources, and collaboration platforms to navigate the procurement process effectively.
Did you know that countries spend 12-15 percent of their GDP on public procurement?
To address this need and provide much-needed support, the Circular Innovation Council is launching Procure4Circular, a national network of public sector buying groups dedicated to accelerating the circular economic transition. By leveraging the collective ability of governments, this network aims to leverage procurement as a catalyst for market transformation, innovation, and sustainable supply chains.
Procure4Circular is an ever-evolving, ever-scaling initiative that will demonstrate the power of collaboration in creating a circular economy. The network will harness the potential of public procurement to drive the transition through the development and standardization of procurement criteria and metrics that prioritize vendors committed to environmental and social responsibilities, such as low carbon and low waste goods and services.
why participate?
Participating in the Procure4Circular network will enable you to work with and among an influential group of innovative and forward thinkers dedicated to transitioning the Canadian economy to preserve our natural world and create a prosperous and equitable society.
Our Members will:
- Expand and share knowledge critical to accelerating the transition to circularity.
- Acquire skills to develop circular procurement criteria which de-risk the procurement of new and circular solutions.
- Develop joint procurement tenders that governments of all levels can leverage and replicate to advance the circular economy.
- Engage with and learn from industry and research institutions.
- Facilitate knowledge exchange through a coordinated community of practice to continually share knowledge and pool resources to promote circularity.
- Increase capacity to share with colleagues new approaches, tools and resources that deliver on their organization’s policy objectives and commitments.
- Gain national and internal recognition of your efforts and commitement to advancing the circular economy through procurement.
Structure and Objectives
The Procure4Circular network will consist of buying groups organized by common spend categories, each governed by a national secretariat and steering committee. The chairs of these buying groups will form the national steering group, which will drive the development of standardized procurement criteria, metrics, and key performance indicators. These criteria will be shared, vetted through market engagement, and tested in national pilot projects.
Participation is voluntary and over an anticipated two-year period, lessons learned will be collected and shared through national and international networks to enhance knowledge and bridge gaps. All the valuable insights and resources gathered will be made available as open-source materials on our website, CircularProcurement.ca.
Anticipated Timeline
- Procure4Circular is launched – November 2023
- Stakeholders register interest to join – Deadline to register is December 19, 2023.
- Stakeholders selected and confirmed. Notification of acceptance to participate shared – January 12, 2024
- Procure4Circular launches four buying groups – kick off meeting January 24, 2024 (tentative)
- Fleet and Transport
- Information Technology
- Office and Furniture Supplies
- Facility Management
Procure4Circular Industry Groups
Fleet and Transportation
Information Technology
Furniture and Office Supplies
Construction and Renovation
Facility Management
Textiles
Food and Catering
Target partners
Procure4Circular will consist of diverse stakeholders from MUSH sector and all levels of government and will represent:
- Purchasing & procurement practitioners
- Stakeholders working with procurement.
- Department leads and managers.
- Those working in sustainability positions.
- Other professionals, including finance and legal.
How to get involved?
Join us in this transformative journey towards a circular economy. Together, we can make a lasting impact on our environment, economy, and communities.
Participation is limited to join at this time, please register early to secure your position.