Responsible procurement is increasingly part of global corporate strategies, and within this scope, inclusive procurement stands out as a powerful way to marry business performance with social impact.
The topic featured prominently in a French-language webinar organised by Le Marché de l’Inclusion. In this event, LittleBig Connection presented its inclusion initiatives alongside Au Carré and numerik-ea, two organisations experienced in inclusive employment. While the webinar was in French, its insights are highly relevant to an international audience.
The session’s core value lies in sharing inspiring success stories, practical lessons, and effective levers to incorporate inclusive procurement into sourcing strategies around the world.
Why adopt an inclusive procurement approach ?
Implementing an inclusive purchasing policy means entrusting certain services to integration structures. These structures employ people with disabilities or those who are distant from the job market.
These include adapted companies (STPA), self-employed workers with disabilities (TIH), and structures for integration through economic activity (IAE).
In total, there are more than 6,500 organizations active in 150 sectors. The Inclusion Market, represented by Nabil Mohamed-Krachaï, a freelance purchasing expert, lists many of these organizations to facilitate collaboration with them.
A global need for inclusive procurement
This need is a universal imperative, whether you are operating in France, India or United States. Globally, approximately 15–16 % of people (around 1 billion individuals) live with some form of disability.
In many countries, people with disabilities are considerably more likely to be unemployed : in 2024, the unemployment rate for individuals with disabilities in the U.S. was roughly double that of those without. On average, only about a third of working-age people with disabilities are employed, compared to around two-thirds of those without.
These figures clearly show the stakes: inclusive procurement opens the door to a large and diverse talent pool.
But its impact goes beyond social considerations alone. An inclusive procurement policy creates value at every level :
Social impact : Inclusion-focused organizations support the employability of people far from the labor market. They go beyond mere employment: comprehensive support, training, mobility, housing… A real lever against exclusion.
Local engagement : Working with local providers supports regional economies. Clients act close to employment hubs.
Environment : By choosing short supply chains and local actors, the carbon footprint of services is also reduced. An often-overlooked angle, but increasingly valued.
Economic performance & compliance : Inclusive procurement helps meet the social criteria of RFPs, strengthen CSR policies, reduce contributions to Agefiph, and build sustainable partnerships beyond the price.
Practical levers and pitfalls to avoid for a working inclusive procurement method
Implementing an inclusive procurement policy doesn’t happen overnight. It requires integrating this approach into purchasing practices, tools, and processes. Fortunately, there are levers to pull :
Prioritize inclusive sourcing
The first step is being able to find the right suppliers. This means opening up sourcing beyond the usual panels. By working with specialized actors or networks, such as Le Marché de l'Inclusion or expert intermediation platforms like LittleBig Connection, companies can efficiently connect with the most relevant inclusive suppliers for their needs.
Assess inclusive potential
Before each request for proposals, it’s useful to ask a simple question:
What is the inclusive potential in this market ?
Three scenarios may arise :
Low potential → add a social criterion to the evaluation.
Moderate potential → include an inclusion clause in the request for proposals specifications.
High potential → reserve the contract for inclusive organizations.
This approach allows you to tailor your strategy to the field without compromising business requirements.
Adapt requests for proposals
A common mistake is using standard requests for proposals. Inclusive organizations then face much more competition. To make requests for proposals more accessible, consider: longer response times, simplified submission requirements, adapted criteria, and allowing allotments to make participation easier for smaller organizations.
What to avoid in inclusive procurement
Inclusive procurement often fails when it is limited to top-down awareness efforts. Training teams is essential but not sufficient. Operational staff must be supported, guided, and equipped to integrate these practices into their daily work.
Another pitfall is engaging inclusive organizations on contracts for which they are not scaled or suitable, due to a lack of prior analysis.
Additional best practices for inclusion
Proactively embedding inclusion into a company’s procurement strategy can also involve:
Targeted pilots led by motivated teams
Early collaboration with suppliers to co-develop solutions
Personalized feedback after each request for proposals to improve future applications
This fosters a sustainable, realistic, and relevant approach for all stakeholders involved in the project.
Practical tools and inspiring feedback to promote inclusion
Scaling inclusive procurement requires the right tools. Platforms like LittleBig Connection make it easier to identify inclusive providers and ensure their participation in sourcing processes. Dedicated filters simplify the selection of inclusive suppliers, boosting both response and success rates.
Expertise represented on LittleBig Connection’s inclusive providers' segment :
32 % in IT
23 % in Marketing
14 % in Consulting / Project Management
12 % in HR & Administrative Support
11 % in Engineering & HSE
8 % in Accessibility & CSR
Inspiring examples
numerik-ea : accessibility at the heart of strategy
An adapted company specialized in accessible digital solutions, numerik-ea is a digital agency.
With ContentSquare, numerik-ea provided its expertise to integrate digital accessibility into the company’s customer journey. The goal: creating better digital experiences for all users.
With TotalEnergies, a collaboration was initiated and facilitated through LittleBig Connection, as part of an inclusion strategy and to ensure compliance with digital accessibility regulations.
Au Carré : no-code as a driver of inclusion
Co-founded by Jessica Weinreb, Au Carré trains and hires people who are distant from the job market in no-code professions.
One flagship project : a tailor-made logistics application for the Civil Protection, used to manage a boarding facility hosting 356 volunteers.
Another example : a software solution for evaluating schools, developed for the French Ministry of National Education.
Adopting a structured approach to make inclusive purchasing a performance driver
Inclusive procurement is not only about compliance or CSR communication. It redefines supplier value by integrating social impact, sustainability, and territorial anchoring into decision-making. For success, companies must equip teams, choose the right partners, and leverage platforms designed for inclusion.
To explore how inclusive procurement can drive performance and impact, and to see tools designed to map inclusive competencies, discover more with us by clicking here.
