Business for the Common Good – Construction

The construction sector shapes the cities we live in: who they're built for, and how we come together as communities. Every home, every neighbourhood, every public space is a deliberate choice: about who is included, what is made possible, and what remains out of reach for too many. The challenges are significant and inextricably linked: housing, circularity, climate, and liveable neighbourhoods. This calls for greater collaboration, transparency, and knowledge sharing. That responsibility shapes every conversation at the drawing board, every tender process, every decision you make. Social impact is built together.

With Business for the Common Good – Construction, you increase the social and ecological value of your business — without compromising your commercial strength. Using the proven Economy for the Common Good (ECG) framework, you transform sustainability from mere words into concrete action, working step by step towards your own Common Good Report, with core values such as human dignity, solidarity, justice, ecological sustainability, transparency, and co-determination at its heart.

This programme is delivered in partnership with Economy for the Common Good, and consists of five practice-based modules. You work with the GoodBalancer tool, strengthen collaboration across the construction supply chain, and join a group of like-minded businesses working together to shape a more liveable Amsterdam Metropolitan Region.

Aims of the Programme

Business for the Common Good – Construction is a sector-specific learning and development programme for construction companies in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Region. The programme aims to:

• embed social value structurally within construction companies
• make social and ecological impact concrete and measurable
• strengthen collaboration and transparency across the construction supply chain
• build a strong ecosystem of companies that together contribute to a liveable city

Who is it for?

The programme is aimed at organisations active in the construction sector, including:

• architectural firms
• construction companies and contractors
• engineering and consultancy firms
• property developers
• installation companies and other supply chain partners

The programme is intended for companies that wish to deepen their social role and embed impact within their organisation and partnerships.

What does your business gain?

Taking part in the programme helps you to:

• integrate social values and good governance into strategy and operations
• collaborate more effectively and transparently on projects and across supply chains
• demonstrate social value to clients and in tender processes
• work alongside like-minded construction companies
• make your contribution to a sustainable and liveable city visible

Participation is free of charge. The City of Amsterdam fully covers the costs of the programme, Q&A sessions, and the programme trajectories.

Programme Structure

Time commitment: A minimum of 30 hours over 6 months

Format Time: 13:00 – 17:00

Kick-off – Wednesday 27 May Theme: Social value as a shared challenge across the supply chain

• Introduction to Business for the Common Good & Economy for the Common Good
• The construction sector as a system: where social and ecological impact meet
• Stakeholder analysis in relation to social sustainability
• Social value as a shared challenge across the supply chain and within the organisation
• Getting to know fellow participants and exploring shared ambitions

Outcome: a shared starting point, a common language, and an understanding of the relationship between social and ecological values within construction projects.

Module 2 – Wednesday 24 June ECG value: Solidarity and Justice

• Solidarity in collaboration and supply chain responsibility
• Stakeholders: suppliers, financial partners, and supply chain partners
• A case study from within the group
• In-depth GoodBalancer work on solidarity

Module 3 – Wednesday 3 September ECG value: Human Dignity

• Dignified work, safety, and inclusion
• Stakeholders: employees and subcontractors
• Application to the organisation and the building site
• Case study + GoodBalancer on human dignity

Module 4 – Wednesday 14 October ECG value: Ecological Sustainability

• Ecological impact of construction projects
• Stakeholders: the local environment, nature, and future generations
• Materials, energy, and circularity
• Case study + GoodBalancer on ecology

Final Module – Wednesday 18 November ECG values: Transparency & Co-determination

• Openness, good governance, and stakeholder engagement
• Stakeholders: clients, commissioners, and the local community
• GoodBalancer case study
• Reflection and next steps for shared ambition

By the end of the Business for the Common Good programme, you will have laid the foundations for a stronger ecosystem of construction organisations in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Region with a sustainable, social mission; ECG concretely applied within projects and organisations; a completed GoodBalancer as the basis for further steps; and a shared language and trust established across the supply chain.

Register for Business for the Common Good – Construction here. Simply leave your details and we'll be in touch.

This programme was developed in collaboration with Amsterdam Impact (City of Amsterdam). Amsterdam Impact strengthens the ecosystem for businesses tackling social challenges. It supports entrepreneurs, provides guidance where needed, and offers the tools required to make an impact in the city. Through Business for the Common Good – Construction, Amsterdam Impact supports construction companies in structurally embedding social value within their organisation, projects, and partnerships.

Central to the programme is the thinking behind the Economy for the Common Good (ECG). This framework encourages construction companies to weave social impact into their strategy, governance, and day-to-day practice, rather than treating it as a box-ticking exercise. The focus is on what that means in practice: dignified work, safety, inclusion, and supply chain responsibility.By making impact visible and open to discussion, greater transparency, better decision-making, and trust within the construction supply chain are achieved.