Standard Requirements for Suppliers

Equal opportunities and diversity

We are an equal opportunities employer is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all people irrespective of sex, age, race, or disability.

We are keen to ensure that suppliers abide by the law and work to best practice in this area.

All suppliers, as part of the tender process, will be required to provide evidence that they have and are committed to equal opportunities policies.

Health and safety

We are committed to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of our employees and all those affected by our undertakings. Contracts will only be awarded to those who can satisfy us that they meet such commitments.

Potential contractors will need to demonstrate compliance with current
Health and Safety legislation including:

• consideration for employees, client and others
• up to date health and safety policies
• adequate risk assessment procedures
• an effective monitoring and reporting system for accidents, incidents and ill health
• access to competent health and safety advice

Sustainability

Procurement has a far broader meaning than that of purchasing, buying or commissioning. It is about securing services and products that best meet the needs of users and the local community in its widest sense. We take sustainability as well as cost and quality into account when choosing suppliers.

Local government expenditure on goods, works and services has significant economic, social and environmental impacts. Minimising our impact in these areas, and where possible having a positive influence, helps to improve local quality of life and promote sustainable development.

The cornerstone of sustainability is achieving development and progress that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

As a council we:

• only purchase goods and services that reflect best practice specifications or standards for environmental and social sustainability.
• consider the whole-life cost of products when we select a supplier (energy efficient products for example often have an increased capital cost that is more than offset over time by the reduced operational costs).
• never buy products that are harmful to the environment if a less damaging alternative is available (for example, we never allow the use of Tropical hardwood that is not independently certified as being from a sustainable forest).
• always specify goods, products, and materials that cause minimum damage to the environment, including the impact of their manufacture, distribution, use, and disposal.
• aim to promote sustainability within all our contract and tendering documentation.
• continually review our purchasing of goods and services through our contract specifications, with the intention of decreasing our environmental impact and increasing our positive impacts on society, the local economy, and producer.

When applying for certain Council contracts, you may be requested to supply evidence of your practices and procedures as they relate to the environment. We often ask for a current ISO14001 certificate (if you have one). You are at a significant disadvantage if your company or organisation has no evidence of following sustainable practices.

Page last reviewed 27 Aug 2009