CASE STUDY - Transforming Employee Onboarding Through Social Procurement
A social enterprise dedicated to preventing food waste and promoting inclusive employment provides premium corporate welcome packs made from surplus produce, demonstrating that quality and purpose can go hand in hand.
The supplier: Es im-perfect® (by Espigoladors Foundation)
es im-perfect® is the commercial brand of the Espigoladors Foundation, established in 2014 in Catalonia. Under the form of a Spanish Work Integration Social Enterprise (Empresa de Inserción) The social enterprise produces high-quality artisanal food products made from surplus or "imperfect" fruits and vegetables that would otherwise go to waste.
Beyond rescuing food, es im-perfect® creates dignified employment opportunities for people facing barriers to the labour market. At their production centre in Catalonia, individuals gain professional skills and stable work experience across all production phases.
The enterprise combines environmental action with social innovation—turning waste into opportunity while challenging corporate and consumer attitudes toward sustainability and responsible consumption. Operating within Spain's Social and Solidarity Economy framework, es im-perfect® has built a reputation for authenticity, transparency, and premium product quality that meets corporate standards.
The client: Zurich Spain
Zurich Insurance Spain actively integrates sustainability across its operations, aligning with the Group's global ESG commitments. The company pursues social procurement partnerships that reflect its purpose and strengthen its cultural identity, with focus areas including responsible consumption, circular economy, diversity, and support for Spain's social economy ecosystem.
The collaboration began in 2024 when Zurich sought a new supplier for employee onboarding gifts. The previous provider was not available and Montserrat from Procurement identified it as an opportunity to increase the number of social providers considering the requirements of the service requested. In the selection process, es im-perfect® was the ideal partner: it was more that the traditional sheltered workshop (including a brilliant circular economy proposal) and committing to the demanding needs of a big corporation (geographical coverage, short delays, quality assurance, etc.
At the same time, this new client offered several opportunities to es im-perfect®: engaging with what they call “not-yet convinced”, the opportunity to innovate in the product and services they were offering and of-course the opportunity to improve the sustainability of one of their new employees.
The process to become provider of a big company is not easy and requires time and resources but they were able to fulfil all the requirements despite the traditional constraints in term of resources of many social enteprises.
Es im-perfect® now provides Zurich with branded welcome packs containing premium food products made from surplus produce. Es im-perfect® turns surplus produce into gourmet products and inclusive employment, delivering sustainable corporate welcome packs that combine quality and purpose. Examples of packs: Pack Gourmet 1 (strawberry jam, eggplant pâté, tomato sofrito), Pack Gourmet 2 (plum jam, carrot pâté, pumpkin sauce). Corporate customization: Zurich logo and colors on labels, personalized welcome messages, and sustainable packaging.
Each pack serves as more than a gift; it's a tangible expression of Zurich's sustainability values, welcoming new employees with a concrete example of purpose-driven business.
The partnership demonstrates professional B2B standards with reliable logistics, product consistency, and full vendor compliance, while maintaining the low-intensity economic value typical of corporate gifting programmes (under €5,000 annually). Yet its symbolic and reputational impact far exceeds its monetary value.
Es im-perfect® has also customized their offerings for Zurich's needs, expanding from 4-item to 5-item packs, showcasing the flexibility and responsiveness expected from corporate suppliers.
"Working with es im-perfect® shows that quality, service, and purpose can go hand in hand. It's not about charity—it's about doing business differently."
- Montse, Procurement, Zurich Spain
The Impact
· Employment Inclusion: es im-perfect® integrates individuals facing social or labour-market exclusion, with the Zurich contract contributing to job stability and staff progression from insertion contracts to permanent roles.
· Circular Economy in Action: Every welcome pack contains products made from surplus produce, directly supporting waste reduction and demonstrating circular economy principles to each new employee.
· Cultural Transformation: By reaching every new Zurich employee, the packs spread a concrete message about sustainability and inclusion, fostering culture change within a major corporation and inspiring other departments to pursue social procurement.
· Business Validation: The partnership provides es im-perfect® with a stable, visible corporate reference that validates its B2B capacity and opens doors to further collaborations with other corporates.
"A partnership with a multinational like Zurich multiplies our impact—not only through sales, but by inspiring employees to see food waste and inclusion differently."
- Mireia Barba es im-perfect®
