Community Benefits & Supports
Leaving communities better than we found them.Social Enterprises
Social Enterprise Procurement: Building Inclusive Economies Through Transit Investment
As part of our Community Benefits & Supports Program, Metrolinx is committed to leveraging transit investments to generate broader economic and social impact. By encouraging procurement from social enterprises, we aim to support equitable economic development, foster inclusive hiring, and maximize the local benefits of our transit investments.
What is a Social Enterprise?
A social enterprise is a business or organization that sells goods or services in the marketplace but operates with a clear social, cultural, or environmental purpose. These organizations reinvest the majority of their profits back into their mission, whether it’s providing meaningful employment to marginalized populations, reducing environmental impact, or strengthening local communities.
Social enterprises may include:
- Employment-based models that hire individuals facing barriers to employment
- Non-profits with earned income strategies
- Cooperatives and Indigenous-owned businesses
- Social-purpose businesses
Our Approach
Metrolinx integrates social enterprise engagement through:
- Inclusion of social enterprise procurement language in eligible contracts
- Collaboration with contractors and partners to identify opportunities to source from social enterprises
- Capacity-building efforts that increase awareness and readiness of social enterprises to participate in major infrastructure projects
Find a Social Enterprise
If you're a contractor, project partner, or community stakeholder looking to connect with social enterprises, the following directories may be helpful:
Disclaimer: These directories are maintained by external organizations and are not affiliated with Metrolinx. Metrolinx does not endorse, verify, or assume responsibility for the accuracy or content of the listings provided.
