How Lithuania’s social enterprise Pirmas Blynas works with the government

Every year, Lithuania spends close to EUR 10 billion through public procurement. Government agencies and cities not only buy goods, they also partner with suppliers who employ tens of thousands of people in services such as catering, cleaning, or administration. 

Procuring entities can use their buying power to help uplift marginalized groups, including people with disabilities who face disproportionately high unemployment rates in Lithuania. 

They are software developers, academics, skilled tradespeople, and many more qualified candidates ready to work. What they need from employers is reasonable accommodation, which in most cases is simple and low-cost to provide.

Tim Van Wijk is the owner of the coffee shop and catering company Pirmas Blynas. Winning a government catering contract has been a game changer for the social enterprise, which employs people with disabilities. 

“[Social procurement] gives our company a lot of opportunities. We can produce more products, we have more income, and with that, we have more impact on society.”

His employees enjoyed working at a couple of functions for government institutions last year. “They do something new, they learn new skills or use their skills in a new environment.”

“We also make Christmas presents that government institutions can order from us. Our employees like to do work on these projects, as they know where the products are going.”

Lithuania’s Public Procurement Office sees public procurement as a powerful, hidden lever to make that happen. It co-created social criteria and supporting guidelines to encourage buyers to use voluntary social criteria, along with change management strategies that included training, a helpdesk and peer exchange between buyers.

As a result, the share of procurement value using social criteria more than doubled to 11%, in 2025, exceeding the 7% target set for the first 18 months of the reforms.