PUBLIC PROCUREMENT NEWS

  

News

14 November 2013

UGAP aims to enhance social causes through procurement activities

The Union of Public Purchasing Groups (UGAP), the French public procurement centre operating under the supervision of the Ministries of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Education, has redeveloped its procurement code to ensure that all purchasing furthers social causes. Its overall objective is to strengthen the social and environmental performance of public procurement, without increasing the cost of services offered.

Alice Piednoir, Sustainable Development Policy Officer & Purchasing Manager, says that the organisation’s revised code takes a practical approach, with a particular emphasis on incorporating incorporating Article 14 of the French Public Procurement Code: "We centralise applications and mutualise costs in order to propose offers that are financially successful. We ensure that the inclusion of social and environmental requirements in our bidding do not cause additional costs to the services offered."

"On a daily basis my colleagues and I discuss all possibilities for integrating sustainable development into the act of purchasing. Suppliers must be able to offer sustainable collection of waste, and eco-labelled supplies. Customers can choose to add these options or not, but it does not impact the budget provision."

For more information, click here [in French].