News & Press Releases - Fair procurement for the public sector 29 March 2018 Fair is the new standard: Second framework contract with fair-procured service and protective clothing for the Bonn office for urban green successfully concluded Employees of the Bonn Green Space Office sample the potential goods of the new framework contract. High-quality clothing and protective equipment is the basis of good work! Photo: © FEMNETTwo years after the first fair tender for the Service and protective clothing of the municipal employees of the Bonn Office for Urban GreeneryThe procedure is established. For example, cut-resistant trousers, forest jackets and winter vests were purchased – but also forest boots and work gloves. For the 19 lots, there were at least 4 valuable offers almost everywhere, which had to be evaluated shortly before Easter according to quality, workmanship and equipment. From the first experience (described in the Brochure step by step (PDF file)) lessons have been learned. In addition to the criteria use value (30%) and price (40%), social criteria went into the race for the award with 30%. Tenderers who wanted to be considered positively in the tender for socially fair production conditions had to attach concrete evidence to their tenders. This was made possible by a graduated tenderer's declaration on the control of the ILO core labour standards. The more measures bidders were able to demonstrate for credible monitoring of ILO notched labour standards, the more points they were able to score. It is gratifying that there were many offers and that social criteria could be successfully included in the evaluation. Photo: © FEMNETThis competition for social criteria showed success and also enabled companies that cannot (yet) submit seals, labels, certificates or memberships in initiatives to participate. This was made possible by a differentiated set of questions. Merchant or manufacturer companies that can, for example, support training on socially fair production conditions in production facilities or the promotion of basic labour rights in local language and demonstrate this were awarded points. With 9 questions, a total of 29 points could be achieved. As a result, the social criteria outperformed more favourable prices for a total of 12 out of 19 lots for which tenderers provided credible information on socially fair production conditions. Social criteria and use value went hand in hand: Products that have been proven to be produced under socially acceptable conditions often received a high score in terms of quality, workmanship and equipment. This had little impact on costs: Only 3% additional costs were incurred. This is a good example of the fact that fair procurement practices are not only possible, but also have positive effects on procurement managers, consumers and the promotion of socially fair trading and production conditions.
