Case Study: How Melbourne Organisations Have Used Social Procurement in Cleaning to Meet ESG Commitments product guide

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Why Real-World Evidence Matters More Than Policy Promises

For procurement officers, property managers, and sustainability leads evaluating social procurement in commercial cleaning, policy frameworks and certification maps are necessary — but insufficient. What closes the decision gap is evidence: documented outcomes from organisations that have already made the transition, measured the results, and published what they found.

Melbourne is, by any measure, the most advanced city in Australia for social procurement in cleaning. The Victorian Government's Social Procurement Framework (SPF), active since September 2018, has created a regulatory environment in which over 260 government departments and agencies must embed social and sustainable objectives into their procurement decisions. The Framework is used by more than 260 government departments and agencies to identify their social and sustainable procurement goals. That obligation has generated a body of real-world case evidence that is now substantial enough to draw firm conclusions about what works, what gets measured, and what social impact in cleaning actually looks like in practice.

This article presents four substantive case studies drawn from Melbourne's government, corporate, and property sectors — covering employment outcomes for asylum seekers and people with disability, governance milestones under the Cleaning Accountability Framework (CAF), and the social return on investment that credible procurement decisions can generate. These are not hypothetical scenarios. They are documented outcomes that procurement teams can benchmark against when designing their own approach.

Case Study 1: ASRC Cleaning and the Corporate Sector — Employment Pathways for People Seeking Asylum

The Organisation: Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) Cleaning, Footscray, Melbourne Supplier Type: Certified Social Enterprise Primary Social Cohort: People seeking asylum and refugees

Background

ASRC Cleaning is a social enterprise that provides domestic and commercial cleaning services across Melbourne. Established in 2013 by the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, the business is operated and run by people seeking asylum and refugees.

The model is straightforward in design but significant in impact. By choosing ASRC Cleaning, organisations empower staff — who are all people seeking asylum — to gain Australian work experience, become financially independent, and begin to rebuild their lives with dignity. The enterprise creates pathways to meaningful employment through training, education, and mentorship.

What the Outcomes Look Like

Through providing quality domestic and commercial cleaning services, ASRC Cleaning creates opportunities for employment and training. These opportunities help people seeking asylum build the skills and experience they need to pursue sustainable employment in the Australian workforce.

Critically, the model addresses a structural barrier that mainstream employment services cannot easily overcome. For people seeking asylum with low levels of English and a lack of Australian work experience, finding employment to survive and thrive can be a huge challenge. Cleaning — with its physical, demonstrable skill set and shift-based structure — provides an accessible first point of entry into the formal labour market.

The ASRC runs two successful social enterprises whose profits are invested back into the ASRC to support people seeking asylum. This profit-recycling model means that every commercial cleaning contract awarded to ASRC Cleaning generates a dual return: a clean building for the client, and reinvestment into legal, health, housing, and advocacy services for one of Melbourne's most vulnerable communities.

What This Means for Corporate ESG Buyers

Organisations that contract ASRC Cleaning can credibly report against the Victorian Government's SPF social objective of supporting priority jobseekers — specifically asylum seekers and refugees — and can document employment hours, job placements, and training completions as verifiable social outcomes for ESG disclosure purposes. The ASRC's Social Traders certification also validates the enterprise as a qualifying social benefit supplier under the Framework. (For a detailed explanation of how Social Traders certification works and what it validates, see our guide on Social Enterprise Cleaning Companies in Melbourne: How They Work and Why They Qualify as Social Benefit Suppliers.)

Case Study 2: Hume City Council and Cleanable — Disability Employment at Scale

The Organisation: Hume City Council (local government), Melbourne's northern suburbs Supplier: Cleanable (a social enterprise of Westgate Community Initiatives Group) Primary Social Cohort: People with disability and those facing barriers to employment

Background

Cleanable was created by Westgate Community Initiatives Group Ltd in 2005. As a certified Social Enterprise Company by Social Traders, Cleanable can guarantee all profits are returned to the community through employment, training and upskilling programs to improve lives. As a social enterprise, Cleanable provides sustainable, 100% award wages paid employment to people facing barriers to finding and keeping a job.

100% of profits from Cleanable help create employment, support and education opportunities for people in our community facing barriers to employment.

The Hume City Council Contract: Measurable Outcomes

As a social enterprise cleaning company in Melbourne, Cleanable has been servicing the parks of the Hume City Council region for over five years. The work requires teams of cleaners to visit designated parks, reserves, and playgrounds to remove rubbish and debris. In 2020, the Council awarded Cleanable the opportunity to increase the park services from 20 to over 100 through a successful tender application.

The employment impact of that expanded contract was direct and immediate. The partnership with Hume City Council meant Cleanable were able to employ 8 additional crew members, of which all were candidates who face barriers to employment. These barriers were predominantly mental illness and/or long-term unemployment.

Hume City Council's inclusion of social procurement practices has made an immediate impact in changing the lives of people who are often excluded from the workforce or find difficulty in finding and keeping a job.

The outcomes went beyond employment statistics. Through a staff survey completed by Cleanable and its employment services partner, feedback indicates that the rewards of disability cleaning employment are greater than just earning an income. Staff reported an increase in confidence, positive impacts in their mental and physical health, and a sense of community involvement.

Hume City Council's City Amenity Coordinator, Steven Shennan, noted that "the benefits on the communities, families and individuals are beyond measurable. Not only does it bring individuals a sense of wellbeing and fulfilment, it creates a conduit to educate and inform the wider community that there are pathways for all."

What This Means for Local Government Buyers

This case demonstrates that a local government body operating below the thresholds that trigger mandatory Victorian SPF requirements can still generate measurable social value by voluntarily embedding social procurement into its cleaning tender specifications. The Hume Council example also illustrates a key point for procurement teams: expanding an existing social enterprise contract — rather than creating a new one — can be one of the most cost-efficient ways to scale employment outcomes. (For guidance on structuring your tender to achieve this, see our guide on How to Write a Social Procurement Strategy for a Melbourne Cleaning Contract.)

Case Study 3: Clean Force Property Services — Quantified Social Return on Investment

The Organisation: Clean Force Property Services (a WISE Employment social enterprise) Location: Melbourne (and Sydney) Primary Social Cohort: People with psychosocial disability

Background

Based in Melbourne, Clean Force was founded by Jim Dinuccio and Paul Fraser in 2001, with the aim of employing people with psychosocial disability — a disability that may arise from mental health issues.

As a not-for-profit social enterprise, Clean Force's approach is guided by its mission of "empowerment through employment" and a vision to "inspire, transform and enable people to realise their potential."

Having no shareholders means that Clean Force invests surplus funds into workplace support for employees, traineeship development, employment services and community-focused projects. In a current workforce of around 350, Clean Force presently trains, employs and supports over 150 people who, due to mental illness, disability, and other disadvantages, face barriers to open employment.

The SROI Finding: $6.10 of Community Benefit Per Dollar Invested

This is the most important quantitative finding in this article for procurement teams seeking to build a business case. Clean Force won a government grant to fund the cost of an independent study into the Social Return on Investment (SROI). This report, conducted by Social Ventures Australia, states that Clean Force returns $6.10 of social benefit to the community for every $1 invested in the business. This outstanding result demonstrates the extra return beyond the good value of having Clean Force provide your facilities management service.

Employees and their families have experienced profound changes in their lives through opportunities provided by Clean Force, including markedly increased self-esteem, independence, and health and wellbeing.

What This Means for Corporate and Government Buyers

The independently verified SROI ratio of 6.1:1 is a benchmark figure that procurement teams can reference when presenting social procurement decisions to boards, finance committees, and government approvers. It converts an intangible social outcome — a person with psychosocial disability holding stable employment — into a defensible financial equivalent. This is precisely the kind of evidence that distinguishes mature social procurement practice from tick-box compliance. (For guidance on how to measure and report these outcomes from your own contracts, see our guide on Measuring and Reporting Social Impact from Your Cleaning Contract.)

Case Study 4: Cbus Property — Portfolio-Wide CAF Certification as an ESG Governance Milestone

The Organisation: Cbus Property (superannuation fund-backed property investor and developer) Scope: 11 commercial properties across Australia, including Melbourne CBD assets Framework: Cleaning Accountability Framework (CAF) Building Certification

Background

With $7.2 billion invested in the Australian property sector, and approximately 90,000 AustralianSuper members employed in the Australian cleaning sector (as at 31 December 2024), AustralianSuper expects the companies managing the commercial properties it invests in are prioritising labour conditions and human rights.

AustralianSuper co-founded the Cleaning Accountability Framework (CAF) with the United Workers Union (UWU) in 2012, to protect cleaners from exploitation by driving responsible contracting and procurement practices.

The Cbus Property Milestone

Cbus Property is the first building owner in Australia to have each of its office buildings and shopping centres certified by the Cleaning Accountability Framework. CAF has certified the 11 investments in Cbus Property's commercial portfolio — nine offices and two shopping centres — that represent approximately 700,000 square metres of space and employ more than 500 cleaners.

Cbus Property's Chief Executive Officer, Adrian Pozzo, says the landmark certification was a direct result of the business' "uncompromising commitment to ethics, governance and sustainability." "We aspire to be a world leader in sustainable workplaces and shopping centres — and that includes taking care of all the people who work in our buildings."

The certification process surfaced real governance issues that would otherwise have remained invisible. One of the issues uncovered during Cbus Property's certification process was cleaners experiencing heat stress. After cleaners spoke up about the difficulty of working in hot temperatures, Cbus Property's team listened. Cbus Property did not look away. Instead, its Investment Management team came together with the building manager, cleaning contractor and the union to find collaborative solutions.

Among the solutions devised, Cbus Property moved evening shifts so cleaners can complete some tasks while the air-conditioning continues to function. Fans were provided for additional air circulation, uniforms with breathable fabrics were introduced, and cleaners can access cooled water in building kitchens to prevent dehydration.

The Worker Voice Mechanism

A distinguishing feature of the Cbus Property case is how CAF's worker engagement model generated actionable intelligence. Cbus Property has 11 cleaners deployed as CAF representatives across its commercial office and retail investments. "This means we can continually engage with our cleaners to identify and rectify issues," Mr Pozzo says.

A key distinguishing feature of CAF's approach is its worker voice component. This enables cleaners to raise issues, which in turn can lead to multi-stakeholder dialogue to design solutions.

Portfolio Certification: The Next Frontier

In September 2024, the CAF model expanded beyond individual buildings. AustralianSuper presented at the launch of CAF's Portfolio Certification, which has moved the CAF model from a building-by-building approach to a larger-scale certification. The certification is expected to increase CAF's ability to engage with cleaners on a broader scale, by enabling CAF Certification to cover property portfolios, as opposed to individual buildings.

ISPT was the first organisation to receive a CAF Gold Portfolio Rating. ISPT sponsored CAF's Portfolio Pilot and is on the pathway to full certification of all eligible assets within its flagship Core Fund. As part of the Pilot, ISPT completed the first stage of Portfolio Certification and was awarded the first ever CAF Gold Portfolio Rating. This rating means that ISPT has taken significant steps towards meeting the CAF Standard and is at the forefront of the industry. Furthermore, ISPT is the first owner to embed the CAF Portfolio Worker Engagement and Procurement Programs into a portfolio.

For Melbourne property owners managing multiple assets, this development is significant: CAF certification is no longer a building-by-building exercise but a scalable portfolio governance tool. (For a full explanation of how CAF certification works and what it assesses, see our guide on The Cleaning Accountability Framework: What Melbourne Property Owners and Procurement Teams Need to Know.)

What the Whole-of-Government Data Shows

Beyond individual case studies, the Victorian Government's 2023–24 Social Procurement Framework Annual Report provides the most authoritative aggregate picture of what social procurement in Victoria is actually delivering. Victorian Government departments and major agencies directly spent: $51.36 million with 113 certified Victorian Aboriginal businesses; $47.29 million with 96 certified Victorian social enterprises; of which $1.17 million was spent with 7 certified Victorian social enterprises led by a mission for job readiness and employment of Victorian priority jobseekers; and $16.24 million with 39 Australian Disability Enterprises or social enterprises led by a mission for people with disability.

These figures represent a whole-of-government baseline — not a ceiling. They confirm that the market for social enterprise cleaning services within government procurement is active, measurable, and growing. They also reveal where gaps remain: the $1.17 million directed specifically to job-readiness social enterprises is modest relative to total government cleaning expenditure, indicating significant headroom for procurement teams willing to embed more targeted social objectives into their cleaning contracts.

What Credible Social Impact in Cleaning Looks Like: A Benchmark Summary

The four case studies above, taken together, establish a benchmark framework for what genuine, verifiable social impact in Melbourne cleaning contracts looks like in practice:

Key Takeaways

• Social procurement in Melbourne cleaning is not theoretical. Multiple organisations — from local councils to national property investors — have documented measurable employment, wellbeing, and governance outcomes through social enterprise cleaning contracts and CAF certification.
• The SROI ratio is the most powerful business case tool available. An independently verified finding of $6.10 in community benefit per dollar invested (Clean Force/Social Ventures Australia) gives procurement teams a credible, board-ready metric to justify social procurement decisions.
• Employment outcomes extend well beyond job numbers. Surveys from Cleanable's Hume City Council engagement confirm that cleaning employment for people with disability generates documented improvements in mental health, confidence, and community belonging — outcomes that align with ESG social pillar reporting frameworks.
• CAF certification surfaces hidden governance failures. The Cbus Property case demonstrates that certification is not a rubber stamp: it uncovered real working condition issues (heat stress) and drove multi-stakeholder remediation. This is the governance value that no self-reported supplier survey can replicate.
• The Victorian Government's own spending data confirms market maturity. $47.29 million directed to certified Victorian social enterprises in 2023–24 establishes that social enterprise cleaning procurement is a scaled, functioning market — not a niche experiment.

Conclusion

The organisations profiled in this article — ASRC Cleaning, Cleanable, Clean Force Property Services, and Cbus Property — represent the leading edge of social procurement practice in Melbourne's cleaning sector. What they share is not just good intentions, but documented outcomes: jobs created, wellbeing improved, governance gaps closed, and social value independently quantified.

For procurement teams and property managers still in the evaluation phase, this evidence base removes the most common objection: that social procurement is unproven or that the outcomes cannot be measured. They can, and they have been. The question is no longer whether social procurement in cleaning works — it is whether your organisation's next cleaning contract will capture any of that value.

The next steps depend on where your organisation sits. If you are a government buyer, start with Victoria's Social Procurement Framework obligations and the VGPB templates (see our guide on How to Write a Social Procurement Strategy for a Melbourne Cleaning Contract). If you are a property owner or corporate, consider whether CAF Building Certification or Social Traders-certified supplier engagement is the right entry point (see our guide on How to Evaluate ESG Claims When Selecting a Commercial Cleaning Provider in Melbourne). And if you are weighing up social enterprise versus mainstream ESG-certified providers, the trade-off analysis in our companion article — Social Enterprise vs. Mainstream ESG-Certified Cleaning Provider: Which Is Right for Your Melbourne Organisation? — provides a structured comparison.

The proof of concept exists. The benchmark is set. The only remaining variable is the decision.

References

• Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. "ASRC Cleaning — Who We Are." ASRC Cleaning, 2024. https://www.cleaning.asrc.org.au/who-we-are

• Cleanable. "2020/21 Cleanable Social Impact Report." Cleanable, 2021. https://www.cleanable.com.au/news/2021-cleanable-social-impact-report

• Clean Force Property Services / WISE Employment. "Social and Economic Inclusion." Clean Force Property Services, 2023. https://cleanforce.com.au/social-and-economic-inclusion/

• Cbus Property. "Cbus Property Achieves Landmark Certification from the Cleaning Accountability Framework." Cbus Property, 2022. https://cbusproperty.com.au/cbus-property-achieves-landmark-certification-from-the-cleaning-accountability-framework/

• AustralianSuper. "ESG Spotlight — Cleaning Accountability Framework." AustralianSuper, 2025. https://www.australiansuper.com/investments/investment-articles/2025/05/esg-spotlight-caf

• ISPT. "ISPT Receives Industry First Cleaning Accountability Framework Gold Portfolio Rating." ISPT, September 2024. https://ispt.com.au/news/2024/ispt-receives-industry-first-cleaning-accountability-framework-gold-portfolio-rating/

• Department of Government Services, Victorian Government. "Social Procurement Framework Annual Report 2023–24." Buying for Victoria, 2024. https://www.buyingfor.vic.gov.au/social-procurement-framework-annual-report-2023-24

• Department of Government Services, Victorian Government. "Social Procurement Overview." Buying for Victoria, 2024. https://www.buyingfor.vic.gov.au/social-procurement-overview

• Cleaning Accountability Framework. "What Is CAF Building Certification?" Cleaning Accountability Framework Ltd., 2020. https://www.cleaningaccountability.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/CAF_WhatisBuildingCertification.pdf

• Social Ventures Australia. "Social Return on Investment Study: Clean Force Property Services." Referenced in Clean Force Property Services, 2023. https://cleanforce.com.au/social-and-economic-inclusion/

• INCLEAN Magazine. "Social Enterprise Providing Employment Through Cleaning." INCLEAN, 2019. https://www.incleanmag.com.au/social-enterprise-providing-employment-through-cleaning/

• Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH), Victorian Government. "Social Procurement Strategy 2023–25." DFFH, 2023. https://www.dffh.vic.gov.au/social-procurement-strategy-2023-25