Purpose
Our Sustainable Procurement Policy is concerned with implementing our Environmental and Low Carbon Policy when procuring works, goods or services. These guidelines are set to ensure best practice and to meet our legal and financial obligations as well as to achieve wider economic, social and environmental benefits.
Definition
Sustainable procurement requires full consideration of environmental, economic and social impacts, as well as the financial and performance implications of procurement. This means considering the impacts of procurement decisions on local communities, the environment and society as a whole.
We deliver many of our programmes through third parties using grant funding and similar interventions. Whilst Scottish Enterprise itself is not directly responsible for procurement in these instances, it should strive to ensure that its delivery partners apply similar standards in their own procurement activities by providing information (for example this guidance) on good environmental practice.
We will comply with, and where possible exceed, guidance provided within the Procurement Journey, the Scottish Government Sustainable Action Plan and relevant legislation.
Principles
Best value:
All procurement decisions must achieve best value. This means considering the price and quality in procurement decisions. Consideration will be given to environmental criteria by considering the whole life cost or whole life value of the purchase (including decommissioning and/or disposal costs where appropriate) and the level of after sales support and service that may be required.
Legal implications:
The EU encourages sustainable procurement as long as it is non-discriminatory. Purchasers may include sustainable development objectives, however the award of contracts should not be made subject to criteria or conditions which are not directly relevant to the product or service which is being procured. An example, is that SE can specify that we want quotes for recycled paper for our own printing purposes, but we cannot require consultants employed by us to write their reports for us on recycled paper.
Environmental standards:
We seek to consider the whole life cost and environmental impact through high standards of sustainable construction.
- We will ensure that all buildings constructed or substantially refurbished, directly or through a supported project, will be to a minimum of BREEAM ‘excellent’ standard (or equivalent) wherever reasonably possible.
- We have signed and are implementing WRAP’s ‘Construction Commitment’ with the aim of halving construction, demolition and excavation waste to landfill.
- We will consider Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) trademarks or equivalent for sustainable timber.
- We will consider community benefits and social clauses in our construction contracts, where relevant and proportionate.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions:
We will aim to reduce travel in delivering contracts, explore opportunities for local sourcing of materials and will use energy efficient goods, services and products.
Improving resource efficiency:
We will seek to reduce the consumption of paper, energy, water, and generation of waste by:
- Encouraging recycling, and the reuse or reallocation of materials;
- Embedding targets for reducing the generation of construction waste within procurement documentation;
- Using recycled goods and materials where possible;
- Encourage minimal packaging and where possible subscribe to a take back scheme for packaging/equipment which can be recycled;
- Buy supplies only when necessary and minimise the volume of materials consumed;
- Use Government Buying Standards specifications where applicable;
- Select more durable, environmentally friendly alternatives, adhering to the WEEE (waste, electrical and electronic equipment) Directive;
- Encourage minimal packaging and where possible subscribe to a take back scheme for packaging/equipment which can be recycled;
- Maintain and repair where possible to extend product lifespan;
- Buy energy efficient appliances and equipment, eg A-rated appliances;
- Specify low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints;
- Consider FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) trademarks or equivalent for purchases of timber;
- Select environmental friendly options for cleaning and pest control adhering to Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations; and
- Consider fair trade products or similar where appropriate.
Events, seminars and workshops:
We will use the Greener Events guide when organising events, and use this guide when assessing tenders submitted by contractors who are organising events. The guide is available as part of Scottish Enterprise’s Environmental management and low carbon policy.
Corporate Social Responsibility / Equal Opportunities
There are several ways in which we can foster diversity in its procurement processes. These include the following:
Small and Medium Sized Enterprises:
we seek to ensure that SMEs have fair and equal access as suppliers.
Social inclusion:
Where possible we aim to become aware of our suppliers’ commitment to socially inclusive actions such as using local labour and sub-contractors, commitment to the training and development of their people, and fulfilling their obligations under anti-discrimination legislation. We strive to encourage best practice and support suppliers that show a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. This may also include ensuring that the voluntary and social enterprise sectors have the opportunity to engage with us as suppliers.
Economic inclusion:
We seek to ensure that businesses owned or managed by underrepresented groups such as ethnic minorities, women and disabled people have fair and equal access to its procurement opportunities.
Implementation:
Sustainable development should be included throughout the procurement process where related and proportionate to the subject matter of the commission:
Pre-qualification questionnaires:
Environmental criteria should be considered as requirements within all PQQ’s. Suppliers should be asked if they have any environmental policy, evidence that they are complying with relevant environmental legislation, any environmental management system or formal accreditation such as ISO14001 or EMAS. However, formal accreditations are voluntary and cannot be a pre-condition of bidding unless evidence is directly relevant to delivery of the contract.
Invitation to tender (and project brief):
Environmental criteria (as suggested above) should be considered as requirements within all ITT’s.
Evaluation template:
Environmental criteria should be a factor in our evaluation template when scoring tenders submitted.
Further Information
Please contact philip.martin@scotent.co.uk for further information.