News & Press Releases - Fair procurement for the public sector © FEMNET 17 March 2020 Very exemplary: the District of Fürth The district of Fürth dares to: Since 2016, its member municipalities have been working together to make public purchases more socially equitable step by step. They reinforce each other, they coordinate strategies and they share procurement data. In the district of Fürth, many positive aspects intertwine: Active and dedicated Fairtrade Town steering groups that don't let up. The insight that fair procurement can be easier than thought. And the necessary political backing to make fair procurement also possible ‘from above’. Fairtrade Town Steering Groups Get Involved Several Fairtrade Towns and Fairtrade municipalities are located in the district of Fürth; The county itself is a Fairtrade county. This means above all: Many committed people in the steering groups who work tirelessly for fair procurement. In several municipalities, including Langenzenn, Codolzburg and Roßtal, steering groups submitted applications for comprehensive Council decisions governing fair public procurement. It was also repeatedly suggested that consumers get the opportunity to test fair protective clothing in order to get an idea of themselves. "The fact that the city itself uses fair-made and traded clothing is great, but it should only be the beginning", says Angelika Dittmann from one of the steering groups. "We want to lead by example and hopefully inspire other people." Fair workwear: The changeover wasn't that big! The steps towards a fair procurement practice are often smaller than expected. The municipalities in the district of Fürth have long bought fair coffee; Fair gift boxes were also common. As a ‘larger project’, municipalities set out to procure workwear fairly. It quickly became clear that not much had to change: Employees of construction yards already wore fair labels. The aim was to stipulate that fair protective clothing should also be purchased in the future. In the district of Fürth, this was done by an instruction. Support structures have also been created: The Municipal Development Policy Coordinator helped to gain an overview of the market and to check availability. Lease of protective clothing can bring savings potential The city of Langenzenn in the district of Fürth relies on leasing protective clothing - and thus even saves money. For the employees of the building yard, a contract was concluded with a rental company that provides, cleans, repairs and replaces occupational safety clothing. After several Council decisions adopted fair criteria for occupational clothing, the requirements for clothing were adapted. The manufacturer's membership in the Fairwear Foundation has now been demanded. And look there: The previous rental company was also able to deliver this. And offered the whole thing on top of that at a cheaper price. Political backing: Guide, Council Decisions, Instructions As far as political support is concerned, the district of Fürth can provide inspiration for other municipalities. The political and administrative levels interact exemplarily to make fair procurement possible: At county level, the Coordinator for Municipal Development Policy developed a guideline on sustainable procurement. This was recommended to the mayors of the municipalities for implementation. The municipalities are now working on Council decisions and instructions; Some have even implemented it. At county level, the instructions are binding: The objective of fair, sustainable and environmentally friendly procurement should be taken into account in all procurement processes. Where possible, this should be implemented by requiring quality marks in the tender specifications or by weighting at least 20% in the evaluation criteria. Combing and auditing are happy: Finally, there are clear guidelines that everyone can follow!
