Procurement and partnership policy

The policy should be read in conjunction with our:

1. Purpose and scope

To formalise the existing practices of the BISA team and trustees.
To provide future guidance to BISA, its trustees, working groups, and members.
To facilitate procurement practices and partnerships that align with BISA’s values and commitments to EDI, labour rights, human rights, academic freedom, and sustainability.
To help BISA foster positive social and environmental impacts.

Applies to all procurement activities including goods, services, and works, as well as formal partnerships.
Its application will be proportionate to scale/significance of proposed activities, limits to our investigative capacities, and in alignment with:
- BISA’s status as a registered charity under the Charities Act 2022
- The legal responsibilities of trustees outlined by the Charity Commission including responsible management of BISA’s financial resources and acting in BISA’s best interests.
Covers interactions with suppliers, contractors, financial institutions, other third-party vendors, and formal partners.

Transparency: Maintain openness in procurement and partnership processes and decision-making within BISA governance structures. Larger scale procurement and partnership decisions (e.g. conference venues, formal partnerships with external organisations) will continue to be scrutinised by BISA’s Executive Committee with approval required before they can be initiated.
Accountability: Ensure all stakeholders are accountable for adhering to ethical standards.
Fairness: Treat all suppliers and potential partners equitably and avoid discrimination.
Sustainability: Prioritise sustainable practices that minimise environmental impact to the best of our capabilities.
Peace and security: Avoid supporting the arms trade and companies directly involved in it to the best of our capabilities.

Inclusive sourcing: Support diverse suppliers and partners where possible, including those owned by underrepresented groups (e.g. minority-owned, women-owned, LGBTQ+-owned businesses).
EDI criteria: Include EDI information (where available) in our selection processes.

Fair labour practices: Ensure to the best of our capability that suppliers and partners adhere to fair labour practices, including fair wages, reasonable working hours, and safe working conditions.
Child and forced labour: Ensure to the best of our capability that we only support suppliers and partners who prohibit child labour and forced labour in the supply chain.
Freedom of association: Ensure to the best of our capability that we are supporting suppliers and partners who respect workers' rights and collective bargaining.

Human rights due diligence: Ensure to the best of our capability that we do not enter agreements with suppliers or partners with known connections to human rights abuses.

Environmental impact: Consider, to the best of our capability, the environmental impact of products and services we procure throughout their lifecycle.
Sustainable products: Prefer products that are sustainably sourced, have lower carbon footprints, and are recyclable or biodegradable.
Green procurement: Prefer vendors whose practices reduce waste, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Prohibited suppliers: Ensure, to the best of our capability, that we avoid entering relationships with companies or partners directly involved in the production, distribution, or sale of arms and related technologies.

Policy communication: Clearly communicate the ethical procurement policy to all employees, suppliers, partners, and stakeholders, including our members.
Awareness: Ensure the BISA team, trustees, working group conveners, and members are aware of our ethical procurement and partnership practices.
Audits and reviews: Conduct periodic audits and reviews to ensure compliance and continuous improvement.

Non-compliance consequences: Clearly define the consequences for suppliers that fail to comply with the policy, including potential termination of contracts.
Remediation: Develop and implement corrective action plans as needed.

Co-production and communication: Maintain open channels of communication that enable members to share information with the BISA team and trustees relevant to points 3,4,5,6, and 7 above.
Regular reviews: Conduct regular reviews of the policy to ensure it remains relevant and effective.
Adaptation: Adapt the policy to reflect changes in laws, regulations, and best practices in ethical procurement and partnership practices.