Agenda item

Options to Promote Supplier Diversity

Report of the Chamberlain.

Minutes:

The Committee considered a Report of the Chamberlain concerning supplier diversity.

 

Welcoming the paper, the Chairman opened the discussion by stressing that, whilst we should do all we can to encourage applications and remove barriers, at the point of selection, the principle of best value must always apply.

 

Noting the relative lack of businesses owned by under-represented groups coming forward to bid for contracts, a Member emphasised that we needed to closely look at the causes for this reticence.

 

As an organisation, he stressed, we can take a leadership role in this area by assisting potential suppliers to get them into a position where they can bid for contracts. As a broader tool we could also look at delivering a webinar focused on providing SMEs with insights and tips on how to prepare a bid for contracts at the City and other similar public sector organisations. The Chairman welcomed these comments and suggested that the Procurement Sub-Committee was, at least in the first instance, best placed to look at this in more depth.

 

Officers added that this had been an area of focus before the question of supplier diversity arose at the last meeting of FC and they were working from a strong platform. However, the challenges were significant, not least around businesses being able to navigate the documentation involved in a bid, and also ensuring that the aim of encouraging more diverse businesses to bid was built in at the beginning of the tender process.

 

A Member asked where we are in terms of diversity within our own City Procurement team. Officers responded that they would respond to the Member after the meeting.

 

Separately, a Member pointed out that we needed to consider companies which had under-represented groups as a large proportion of the workforce, not just the ownership.

 

A Member asked that KPIs are established to assess the impact of the plan and that a progress update is presented to all relevant committees on a regular basis.

 

RESOLVED – that the Committee approved the recommended action plan for FY2021/22.

 

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