Supplying Dŵr Cymru Cyfyngedig (Welsh Water)
Foreword
In line with our Welsh Water 2050 Vision we face many challenges and future opportunities over the coming years, therefore it is important for Dŵr Cymru Cyfyngedig (Welsh Water) to engage with the best Suppliers in the marketplace. With expenditure of over £540 million per annum now, more than ever, we have a responsibility to demonstrate our contribution to society more broadly. At Welsh Water, we’re committed to being a responsible business in everything we do. When we buy goods and services or works, we do so in a way that achieves the best value for money and exploits the opportunity to achieve wider benefits for people, the economy, and the environment. Embedding Sustainability and eradicating Modern Day Slavery are key to our Procurement processes, as are Health & Safety and risk management. Our approach to sustainable and ethical procurement sets out to align with the principles of the of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act, and further detail relating to these elements can be found in the following pages. Welsh Water are pleased to launch this new webpage to act as a guide for Suppliers, which also outlines our expectations, our policies, and other useful information for Suppliers who may wish to engage with us.
Introduction
From sole traders to international organisations, we spend over £540m million in procuring from approximately 4000 external organisations every year to enable the delivery of quality Goods, Services and Works.
These suppliers range from small and medium sized enterprises to global organisations with expertise including major capital works, and operational services contractors, to material and goods suppliers. We value and welcome the diversity of all supplier types and sizes.
In these pages you will find useful information on working with Welsh Water.
Ethical Procurement
Welsh Water has attained the CIPS Corporate Ethics Mark which publicly reinforces our organisation’s commitment to ethical sourcing and supplier management. Welsh Water is the third UK Water company and the only Welsh HQ based company, and one of 65 other UK companies to attain the Kitemark.
We have signed a Statement of Commitment to ethical sourcing and supplier management and have taken proactive steps to safeguard against unethical conduct. The mark signals to our suppliers, customers, potential employees, and other stakeholders that they are dealing with an organisation that is committed to ensuring its staff are trained in ethical sourcing and supplier management, and that we have adopted ethical values in the way in which we source and manage suppliers.
Sustainable Procurement
Sustainability is defined as meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This includes natural, social, and economic resources.
Welsh Water is currently developing its Sustainability policy and processes in line with the principles of ISO 20400 and will shortly publish our sustainable procurement aspirations within a revised Sustainable Supplier Code. Our aspirations for the establishment of sustainable procurement practices will align to the economic, environmental, and social pillars of sustainability:
- Environmental – Carbon emissions, biodiversity, water footprint, waste.
- Social – Modern slavery, third sector opportunities, training, and recruitment, inclusivity, and diversity.
- Economic – Foundational economy and local spend opportunities, working with SME’s, fair payment, continuous improvement of our supply chain.
Upskilling Your Organisation in Sustainability:
Welsh Water are a proud member of the Supply Chain Sustainability School, and work in partnership with other like-minded organisations to build “An industry where everyone will have the skills and knowledge to deliver a sustainable future.”
The Sustainability School is free to join and allows access to material to upskill both your business and your workforce. Welsh Water, in collaboration with the school have put together a Utilities syllabus to support our supply chain in their sustainability journey. See the attached document below for links to the School and suggestions for topics.
Utilities Sustainability Pathways
Modern Day Slavery
Unfortunately, Modern Day Slavery still exists, even within the UK, and Hope for Justice, an anti-slavery charity, reports that in 2020 more than 40 million people are trapped in slavery worldwide.18th October is Anti-Slavery Day and Welsh Water support and promote this initiative with a weeklong awareness campaign and training activities, and through the corporate activities we undertake in order to tackle this issue, and to ensure we can identify and eradicate and MDS within our supply chains.
Please view our Anti-Slavery Statement under the Modern Slavery Act 2015, which includes the steps we are taking to ensure the eradication of Modern Slavery from our supply chains.
To support our Anti-Slavery agenda Welsh Water selects the suppliers that we engage with in an ethical and sustainable manner.
At Welsh Water we:
- Publish our Anti-Slavery Statement annually
- Ensure our suppliers agree to comply with our Anti-Slavery policy
- We have introduced a Supplier Code of Conduct
- We have conducted Supply Chain mapping to identify high risk areas
- We have introduced Contract Management Plans
- Verify that all strategic suppliers are compliant with our Anti-Slavery policies
Working with Welsh Water
We seek suppliers who not only deliver Goods, Services and Works, but can align and demonstrate our values:
- OPEN to new ideas
- HONEST with everyone
- PROUD to put customers first
- EXCELLENCE in everything we do
- TRUSTED to do the right thing
- SAFE at all times
We expect suppliers to act with integrity, meaning they behave ethically and comply with legal and industry requirements, considering bribery & corruption, hospitality, gifts and entertainment, conflicts of interest, and fraud and theft.
We expect suppliers to respect business ethics, with consideration for vendor selection & relationships, protecting information & data, cyber security, and outsourcing and subcontracting.
We expect suppliers to treat people responsibly, meaning consideration is given to equality, diversity & inclusivity, the safety of children and adults at risk, anti-slavery, the living wage, prompt payment, health and safety, and the use of drugs or alcohol.
We expect suppliers to protect the environment, requiring compliance not only with environmental laws, regulations and standards, but our own environmental quality standards to protect the environment.
Engage with us
Meet the Buyer Events
Meet with Buyers from Welsh Water, to hear about upcoming tender opportunities. These events will give suppliers unprecedented access to buyers and decision makers from across Welsh Water.
The events will allow you to introduce your organisation, meet key contacts and find out about what opportunities buyers have in the pipeline for the supply of Goods, Services or Works. Please use the form below to register your interest in attending a Meet the Buyer event.
Opportunity Enquiries
We maintain an internal programme of activity in alignment with our current contract portfolio and corresponding expiry dates. This may mean that suppliers wishing to offer services may not have an immediate opportunity to do so, where ongoing existing arrangements are concerned.
If you are interested in when an opportunity may be available, please get in touch by submitting the form below to AskProcurement@dwrcymru.com, ensuring appropriate areas of interest are selected to receive relevant opportunities. Please note, we are not obliged to invite organisations to tender that have made enquiries.
Register Your Interest
Business Wales Support
Over the past 5 years Business Wales has helped over 12,500 people start or grow their businesses and has supported the launch of more than 5,000 new enterprises, and SMEs who can benefit from thousands of hours of industry expertise to help them with their business challenges.
Welsh Water are keen to engage with SME’s and would highlight the support that SMEs can gain from Business Wales, which can be found here.
Business Wales, backed by the Welsh Government, offer independent support designed specifically for Welsh Businesses and they have all the information, advice, and guidance you need to sustain and grow your business, all delivered by experienced business specialists.
They can offer a range of support including access to information, workshops, online, telephone, and virtual face-to-face advice, as well as specialist support including:
- Business planning
- Financial management and cashflow
- Marketing and branding
- International trade
- HR
- Diversification and digital capability
- Tendering & Bid Development