Corporate representatives from Codelco, the El Teniente Division, and the consulting firms Gestión Social and Simón de Cirene came to the Sewell Foundation to report on the main advances in the corporate program “Juntos Emprendemos de Local”. This project, which has been developed since 2021, has focused on encouraging the hiring of local suppliers and strengthening the regional economy.

Over the course of three years, the program has implemented various activities to facilitate the access of local small and medium-sized companies to Codelco's bidding processes. Highlighted initiatives include commercial management, information capsules, roundtables, training, webinars and face-to-face meetings with suppliers.

Carlos Vásquez, Community Development Supervisor at El Teniente, said, “In our Division, we seek to be a pillar of sustainable development, integrating social, environmental and economic viability into our operations. By supporting local suppliers, we extend the positive impact and strengthen the economic and social environment of the region.”

In the first phase of the program, 17 regional businessmen and women received more than 300 hours of training to improve their skills and participate in bidding processes. The second phase focused on direct support with 1,051 total mentoring sessions, including contact with 155 local companies.

Elisa Giesen, head of the Social Management project, explained that “El Teniente has a historical commitment to local suppliers. One part is to open up in terms of territorial management and another is to open the doors of business. When the economy is injected with good news, it mobilizes. Learning was generated and gaps were closed. The different stages generated a motor.”

Developing the territory with social value

The program is part of Codelco's commitments for 2030, which include territorial development with a focus on social value. One of the key objectives is to increase the participation of local suppliers in the acquisition of goods and services by 60%.

As one of the key catalysts, the program contributed to the increase in purchases from local MSMEs. From 2023 to date, expenditures have reached $131 million. In 2023, the divisional target of 2.7% was doubled, reaching an increase of 4.5%.

For more information on the bidding process, Codelco invites you to visit its website. In addition, there are nine information capsules aimed at micro, small and medium-sized companies, which explain the steps necessary to become a Codelco supplier.