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4. What information will I have to provide?

You should expect to provide information on how you would deliver the specific requirements of a contract. However, in some cases, where there is a link to the contract, a buyer may ask for information relating to your business processes. For example, if a contract is for the provision of advice on equality and diversity, you could be asked how you deal with these issues in your own organisation.

The following section details some areas buyers may consider during a tender process:

• Your company's ability to meet certain quality assurance standards. For example, ISO 9000, ¹⁴ISO 14001¹⁵ standards for environmental management systems, Eco-Management and Audit Scheme ( EMAS¹⁶) to improve companies' environmental performance, and many more.
• Your company's adherence to and understanding of equality and human rights legislation, and your ability to practice these laws and to ensure that everyone is treated equally.
• Your company's adherence and practice of health and safety policy. In particular, if you employ five or more people, you must have a written safety policy which:
• sets out your business's commitment to managing risks and meeting legal duties for safety;
• tells people in your business what their duties are for health and safety; and
• explains the steps that staff need to take to meet their duties.

You may be asked to provide copies of this document with your tender application, as the Contractor Health and Safety Assessment Scheme ( CHAS) is often used by public and private sector organisations when short-listing contractors.

• Your company's standards of business probity and ethics, corporate social responsibility policy and commitment to Scotland's sustainable development.
• Social and environmental requirements may be included in public contracts if they comply with the requirements of the EU procurement rules and general EU law. These "social clauses" need to have a direct link to the core purpose of the contract, so that they can be included in the assessment of tenders. Further guidance on social issues in procurement is available online. ¹⁷
• And don't forget that the procurement of items over the internet, including e-tendering and e-auction, allows shorter award procedures due to the increased speed that contract notices are transmitted. For more information visit eProcurement Scotland. ¹⁸

A series of best practice case studies will be available online shortly.

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