Procurement - banking services framework: buyer guide

Framework Fair Work First practices, sustainability and community benefits

The Royal Bank of Scotland plc have committed to pay the Real Living Wage to employees involved in the delivery of the framework agreement.

The Invitation to Tender (ITT) asked suppliers to describe how their organisation would support the Scottish Ministers policies on Fair Work First Practices, Sustainability and Community Benefits.

Details of the responses received by RBS are:

Fair Work First

• trade unions recognised for employee voice and collective bargaining
• payment of the real living wage – Living Wage Accredited
• tangible evidence of positive employee attitude to learning and development.
• targets to be ethnically diverse with annual reporting on progress
• family-friendly and agile working
• established programme of Inclusion Champions
• opposition to fire and rehire practices
• externally recognised as being top 10/50 in being ethnically and gender diverse

Sustainability

• target of net zero by 2050
• reduce operational carbon footprint by 50% by 2025
• half the climate impact of RBS financing activity by 50% by 2030
• 50% of UK mortgage customers’ homes at or above EPC rating of C by 2030
• 35,000 individuals or businesses supported through enterprise programmes in 2021 (progress – target exceeded)
• 20% of those supported will be of a Black, Asian and/or Minority Ethnic background (progress – target exceeded)
• 100% front-line colleagues professional accredited within first 18 months in role
• two million of additional customers helped to start saving by 2023
• committed to extending the Real Living Wage to contractors/suppliers across the UK and encouraging suppliers to gain accreditation to the Living Wage Foundation

Community benefits

• established apprenticeship programme
• Social Mobility Apprenticeship Programme (SMAP) offering apprenticeship opportunities to individuals from less advantaged backgrounds
• graduate programme
• CareerSense - providing free-to-access tools to develop critical skills and support employability prospects for 13 to 24 year olds
• MoneySense - free financial education programme makes learning about money engaging, real and relevant to 5 to 18-year olds
• Dream Bigger – A fully funded programme focusing on developing transferrable entrepreneurial skills in 16 to 18 year old females across the UK
• work experience opportunities