Facilities managers are being offered a new way to incorporate social value into everyday workplace purchasing, following the launch of a range of refreshments sourced from social enterprises.
Business transformation specialist Commercial has partnered with Jamila’s Ethical Coffee and TRAMPOLINE Teas to introduce a selection of tea, coffee and hot chocolate products designed specifically for high-volume corporate buyers.
Available through Commercial’s Products with Purpose range, the offering aims to combine competitive pricing with measurable social benefits, enabling organisations to support charitable and community initiatives through routine procurement expenditure.
The range includes standard tea bags, hot chocolate and three instant coffee varieties: rich roast, medium blend and decaffeinated.
For facilities and workplace managers responsible for refreshments procurement across offices and commercial estates, the initiative demonstrates how everyday purchasing decisions can contribute to wider environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives.
Before launching the range, Commercial analysed purchasing patterns across its existing customer base, which includes organisations in construction, manufacturing, utilities and retail.
The company used anticipated purchasing volumes to negotiate commercially viable pricing while ensuring participating social enterprises could generate sufficient returns to support their activities.
Sam Shakespeare, Head of Procurement at Commercial, said: “Our clients need reliable, cost-effective products while social enterprises need to generate enough margin to support their wider missions.”
He added that balancing commercial viability with social impact could make it easier for organisations to generate social value through everyday purchases.
Jamila’s Ethical Coffee donates 100% of its profits to supporting families affected by dementia, while also promoting ethical, organic farming and plastic-free packaging.
TRAMPOLINE Teas, part of NEMI Teas, reinvests more than half its profits into a hospitality training programme supporting refugees living in the UK. Its Everyday Teabags are compostable, plastic-free and unbleached.
The initiative forms part of Commercial’s wider sustainability strategy, which includes increasing the proportion of procurement expenditure directed towards social enterprises.
The company is also considering expanding the range to include premium teas, coffees and office water.
For FMs, the development highlights opportunities to integrate responsible purchasing into routine workplace services without necessarily requiring significant changes to existing procurement processes.
It also illustrates how supplier selection and purchasing volumes can be used to support social value commitments alongside cost management and service delivery requirements.
