Broaden Your Sourcing, Grow Your Impact: Join the Star Social Enterprise Open Day 2026

17 November 2026 · Menara Star, Petaling Jaya · Registration closes 6 November, 2.00 pm

Every organisation buys things. Corporate gifts for clients, catering for town halls, event management, creative work, staff training, facilities services. Most of that spending goes to the same familiar vendors year after year and very little of it is designed to do anything beyond the transaction.

Now imagine if some of that budget could also create jobs for marginalised communities, cut waste, or keep local artisans in business, without asking anyone to compromise on quality, price or delivery.

That is the idea behind social procurement and it is exactly what the Star Social Enterprise (SE) Open Day 2026 is built to make happen.

Organised by Star Media Group and Star Social Impact, with ASBhive and INSKEN as Strategic Partners, the Open Day brings Malaysian social enterprises and corporate buyers into one room for a morning of real conversations about real business needs.

What is a social enterprise, and why buy from one?

Social enterprises are businesses that earn their own income while addressing a social or environmental need. They are not charities asking for donations. They sell products and services, compete on value, and reinvest in their mission.

When a company buys from a social enterprise, its existing procurement budget does double duty: it meets an operational need and creates measurable social impact. No new CSR line item required.

It is also good business. With sustainability disclosures, client tenders and supplier assessments asking harder questions every year, purchases from social enterprises, backed by proper purchase records and credible impact data, give companies concrete, verifiable examples of responsible sourcing. That builds confidence with investors, clients and regulators alike.

HeadingFor corporate buyers: find suppliers for what you actually need

The Open Day is not a showcase you walk past. It is designed around your purchasing needs. • Find suppliers for real business needs. Explore social enterprises offering corporate gifts, catering, event management, creative services, training and facilities-related services. • Meet and assess vendors face to face. Through business matching and speed pitching, discuss your requirements directly and evaluate suppliers against your own quality, pricing and delivery standards. • Turn commitments into action. Leave with a suitable first purchase or pilot engagement that supports your responsible procurement goals and can grow into a longer-term partnership.

Who should attend? Representatives from Procurement and Supply Chain, Sustainability/ESG and CSR, Human Resources, Corporate Communications and Marketing, Administration and Facilities Management, and any other team involved in purchasing or supplier selection. We encourage you to bring colleagues from different departments, since each team will spot different opportunities.

HeadingFor social enterprises: get in front of the people who buy

Great products are not enough if they never reach the right desk. The Open Day puts you directly in front of corporate representatives and department leads who hold purchasing decisions. • Business matching and speed pitching. Present your products and services directly to corporate buyers and relevant department heads. • Networking that leads somewhere. Connect with potential buyers and explore collaborations beyond a one-off sale. • Understand how corporate supply chains work. Gain practical insight into what it takes to become, and stay, a corporate vendor.

We particularly welcome social enterprises offering corporate gifts, catering, event services, creative services, training and facilities-related solutions, along with any other products and services relevant to corporate procurement.

HeadingThe panel: "Why Aren't Corporates Buying from Social Enterprises?"

It is the question everyone in the ecosystem asks, and few say out loud. Our panel brings buyers and social entrepreneurs together to unpack the honest barriers: vendor registration, scale and consistency, pricing, and internal buy-in, and what both sides can do to close the gap. Whether you are a procurement manager who has never knowingly bought from a social enterprise, or a founder tired of hearing "maybe next year", this conversation is for you.

HeadingWhy ASBhive is part of this

At ASBhive, the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Centre of Asia School of Business, we have spent years supporting social enterprises through incubation, acceleration and our Impact Accelerator. One lesson keeps repeating: grants help social enterprises start, but customers help them last.

Social procurement is one of the most powerful levers for a stronger SE sector in Malaysia. As Strategic Partner and B2B matching partner for the Open Day, we are helping design matching sessions that lead to genuine purchases and pilots, not just exchanged business cards.

HeadingEvent details

• Date: Tuesday, 17 November 2026 • Time: 9.00 am – 2.00 pm • Venue: Cybertorium & Cyberhub, Level 2, Menara Star, 15, Jalan 16/11, Seksyen 16, 46350 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan • Registration: https://bit.ly/StarSE-OpenDay • Registration deadline: Friday, 6 November 2026, 2.00 pm

The same form works for both corporate buyers and social enterprises. Places for matching sessions are limited, so register early.

HeadingSee you at Menara Star

Social impact does not only happen through grants and volunteer days. It happens every time a purchase order goes to a business that is building something better.

Corporate buyers: bring your sourcing needs. Social enterprises: bring your best pitch. Let's create business value and meaningful social impact, together.

👉 Register now: https://bit.ly/StarSE-OpenDay

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The Star Social Enterprise Open Day is an initiative by Star Media Group and Star Social Impact, with ASBhive and INSKEN (Institut Keusahawanan Negara) as Strategic Partners. The event supports SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).