Procurement - mobile voice and data services framework (SP-22-005): buyer's guide

Fair work practices, supply chain transparency and community benefits

Vodafone Ltd is an accredited Real Living Wage employer and deliver a range of fair work practices including:

• no use of zero-hour contracts
• providing an effective voice in the workplace via an employee consultation council comprising of employee representatives
• they have a variety of learning and development programmes for employees including the use of artificial intelligence and automation to provide personalised learning opportunities

On social and ethical responsibilities, Vodafone Ltd require their 1st tier supply chain to adhere to their ethical code of conduct and encourage sub-tier suppliers to ensure compliance across their own supply chain.  Areas covered under the code of conduct include:

• no use of forced labour, slavery or human trafficking
• all employees have an employment contract with reasonable notice period
• audits are carried out to monitor and improve labour standards in the supply chain with robust action taken where compliance breaches are found

Regarding sustainability and minimising environmental impacts, Vodafone Ltd:

• has an Environmental Management System certified to ISO14001 and energy management certification to ISO50001

• has a target to reduce all carbon emissions from their UK operations to net zero by 2027 and within their supply chain by half by 2030
• continue to reuse or recycle 100% of network electronic waste
• contribute to Vodafone’s Global goal to reduce their business customers’ carbon emissions by 350 million tonnes by 2030
• provide their free of charge device disposal, recycling, reuse and wiping service that is compliant with the WEEE Regulations 2013

Vodafone Ltd delivers a number of corporate community benefits covering:

• apprentices – youth bootcamp programmes and designed as an alternative to university and corporate training
• provision of week-long virtual work experience programmes for school students
• provision of expert business advice to local SMEs, third sector and supported businesses, includes free, interactive digital skills workshops, e-learning modules and fortnightly webinars
• continued commitment to provide free connectivity to digitally excluded people across the whole of the UK with a national target to connect 3 million people by end of 2025

Scottish Procurement will work with Vodafone to identify and deliver Community Benefits. Framework public bodies placing call-off contracts from this framework agreement are strongly encouraged to consider the inclusion of Community Benefits as part of the call-off contract process. Any agreed Community Benefits should be reported to Scottish Procurement. Scottish Procurement will also ensure Vodafone Ltd continually update them at framework level as demand comes through.