Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council operates within a clear governance structure to ensure all procurement is lawful, fair, and effective.
This includes:
Other Corporate Policies
Corporate Safeguarding in Procurement
Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council is committed to ensuring that all adults and children who come into contact with our services, directly or indirectly, are protected from harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and this includes the organisations and individuals who supply goods, works and services on our behalf.
Our Expectations of Suppliers and Contractors
All suppliers, contractors and commissioned service providers who work with or on behalf of the Council are expected to:
- Promote a safe culture within their organisation, ensuring the wellbeing of children and adults at risk is a core priority.
- Have appropriate safeguarding policies and procedures in place, proportionate to the nature of the contract and level of contact with the public.
- Ensure all staff and subcontractors are trained to recognise, respond to and report safeguarding concerns.
- Adopt safe recruitment practices, including relevant pre‑employment checks, background checks and ongoing staff supervision.
- Report safeguarding concerns promptly, following the Council’s reporting routes or their own internal procedures, as appropriate.
- Co‑operate with the Council in any safeguarding enquiries, audits or compliance checks.
Due Diligence and Contract Management
Safeguarding requirements form part of our procurement and contract‑management processes. This may include:
- Assessment of safeguarding arrangements during pre‑qualification and tender stages
- Mandatory submission of safeguarding policies
- Proportionate checks based on risk
- Contract clauses relating to safeguarding responsibilities
- Ongoing monitoring throughout the contract period
Failure to meet safeguarding obligations may result in contract suspension or termination
Ethical Employment in Supply Chains and Modern Slavery
Blaenau Gwent delivers a wide range of statutory and discretionary public services, provided directly through our own workforce, and through other public, private and third sector organisations.
The Council has signed up to the Welsh Government’s Code of Practice for:
Ethical Employment in Supply Chains
The Codes 12 commitments include tackling Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, this statement sets out the action that the Council has taken, and will continue to take, to ensure that there is no Modern Slavery or Human Trafficking in our own business and supply chains.
Blaenau Gwent Council is fully committed to providing visibility to its Modern Slavery statement and ensuring ‘Transparency in our Supply Chains’. In accordance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015, the Council recognises the responsibility it has as an employer to be aware of the potential for instances of Modern Slavery and to report such instances or concerns to the relevant bodies.
To this end the Council is working in partnership with Welsh Government, the wider public sector, suppliers, service providers, trade unions and others to address Modern Slavery challenges with a view to reducing risks and incidence of modern slavery and human trafficking.
Social Value & Community Benefits
Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council is committed to maximising the positive economic, social, environmental and cultural impacts that our procurement activity can deliver for local communities. By embedding Community Benefits and Social Value into our contracts, we ensure that public spending creates meaningful and lasting improvements for the people of Blaenau Gwent.
Our Approach
We apply the principles of the Well‑being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the Welsh Procurement Policy Statement, ensuring that every relevant contract contributes to wider well‑being goals such as:
- Supporting local jobs and training
- Reducing inequalities and promoting fair work
- Encouraging local supply chains and community resilience
- Improving environmental sustainability
- Strengthening community cohesion and wellbeing
Community Benefits are considered during procurement planning, tender evaluation and contract management to ensure commitments are realistic, deliverable and proportionate to the nature and value of each contract.
Expectations of Suppliers
We expect suppliers, contractors and service providers to work with us to identify opportunities that deliver additional value for Blaenau Gwent. Examples include:
- Employment and Skills: apprenticeships, work placements, local recruitment
- Support for Local SMEs and Social Enterprises: supply chain opportunities, capacity building
- Community Support: volunteering, charitable initiatives, in‑kind contributions
- Environmental Actions: carbon reduction, circular economy practices, biodiversity improvements
- Wellbeing and Inclusion: initiatives that promote equality, accessibility and community participation
Suppliers may be asked to submit Community Benefits proposals as part of the tender process and to report progress throughout the contract term.
Measuring and Monitoring Impact
We use proportionate monitoring arrangements to ensure that Community Benefits and Social Value commitments are delivered effectively. This may include:
- Regular reporting against agreed indicators
- Progress meetings with contract managers
- Evidence of outcomes achieved (e.g., jobs created, hours volunteered)
- Sharing best practice to support continuous improvement
Our aim is to make Community Benefits a standard part of delivering quality public services, while ensuring transparency and accountability.
Working Together for a Stronger Blaenau Gwent
By partnering with suppliers who share our commitment to social value, we help ensure that every pound spent delivers not only good services, but also wider benefits for our communities, our environment and our local economy.
We welcome innovative ideas from suppliers and look forward to working together to create positive, lasting impact across Blaenau Gwent.
Social Value & Community Benefits
Decarbonisation
Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council is committed to playing its full part in tackling climate change and supporting Wales’ national ambition to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions by 2030. Procurement has a vital role in this transition. By working closely with our suppliers, we aim to reduce carbon emissions across our supply chains, encourage greener innovation, and deliver contracts that support a more sustainable future for Blaenau Gwent.
Our Approach
We embed decarbonisation principles into our procurement planning, tendering and contract management processes. This means:
- Prioritising low‑carbon and energy‑efficient products, services and solutions
- Considering whole‑life costs and environmental impacts, not just price
- Supporting the circular economy through reuse, repair and waste reduction
- Encouraging suppliers to measure, manage and reduce their carbon footprint
- Using procurement to support wider Council climate and nature‑recovery commitments
These actions help ensure that public spending contributes positively to our environmental objectives and long‑term sustainability.
Expectations of Suppliers
We expect suppliers, contractors and commissioned providers to:
- Identify opportunities to reduce carbon emissions associated with the goods, works or services they provide
- Adopt sustainable practices, such as minimising waste, reducing energy use, and using low‑emission vehicles or equipment
- Provide information on environmental impacts, where relevant, including carbon reporting and sustainability credentials
- Support innovation, offering greener alternatives or low‑carbon solutions
- Demonstrate compliance with environmental legislation and industry standards
Environmental considerations may form part of tender evaluation criteria and will be proportionate to the nature and scale of the contract.
Whole-Life Costing and Sustainable Choices
When evaluating bids, we look beyond upfront cost and consider the total environmental impact across the whole life of the product or service. This includes:
- Durability and maintenance
- Energy consumption
- Disposal or end‑of‑life options
- Opportunities for reuse or recycling
- Long‑term carbon savings
This approach helps secure value for money while supporting environmental improvement.
Monitoring and Continuous Improvement
Environmental commitments included in contracts may be monitored throughout delivery. This can include:
- Regular reporting on carbon reduction activities
- Evidence of sustainable procurement choices
- Updates on progress toward agreed environmental targets
- Discussions on opportunities for further emissions reduction
We encourage suppliers to continuously improve and to collaborate with us on new ways to reduce environmental impact.
Working Together for a Greener Blaenau Gwent
Decarbonisation is a shared responsibility. By partnering with suppliers who embrace sustainable practices, we can reduce emissions, protect natural resources, and help build a cleaner, healthier and more resilient Blaenau Gwent.
We welcome innovative ideas from the supply chain and look forward to working together to support the transition to Net Zero.
Blaenau Gwent’s Climate Emergency Plan
Welsh Procurement Policy Note (WPPN) 12/21
No PO No Pay Policy
Please note that Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council is now operating a No Purchase Order, No Pay Policy.
Invoices submitted to the Authority must in future contain a valid BGCBC Purchase Order number in order to be processed for payment. Where invoices do not quote a valid BGCBC Purchase Order number, invoices will be returned to the supplier unpaid. Purchase Order numbers can be obtained from the Officer requesting the goods or services supplied.