Using the Janitorial and Cleaning Supplies frameworks to create social value

Have you tried to include Social Value in any of your commodity tenders? We did and we got a surprising list of offerings. The question was quite simple:

Having regard to the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012, please outline the additional value and benefit your organisation will achieve for the local community, this being in addition to the specified requirements detailed by the Contracting Authority in the specification. 

Your response should include specific commitments and describe practically how these will be overseen and delivered, which may involve value in relation to social, economic and/or environmental benefits.

The responses were quite varied but included the following:

• Commit to making student training available, providing training to pupils in presentation skills, practice interviews and work experience.
• Offering assistance whether this be through physical attendance and involvement or other tangible contribution for fundraising.
• Committing to sourcing product from suppliers locally when securing significant spend
• Trade with local companies to support the local economy which also has environmental benefits and reduces the carbon footprint.
• Work with many local groups supplying items free-of-charge for community clean-up days.
• Donating a wide variety of clothing such as polo shirts, fleeces, and coats for distribution to the homeless.
• Charitable donations to support community events for Framework Participants.
• Work tasters offering job shadowing opportunities within our distribution hubs for school pupils, young adults and long-term unemployed to introduce them into the logistics and warehousing industry.
• Offering 2 days per calendar year work experience placements for several students across many areas of the business – including administration, distribution, customer care and marketing.
• Proposing to notify CPC and Framework members of any apprentice vacancies arising.
• Donation of Stock continuing to donate surplus, end of line and returned stock to be used by local hospices and charities.
• Promoting environmentally friendly product ranges offering pioneering standards in circular economy, sustainably sourced, manufactured and packaged with exceptional results.
• Providing chemical dosing and highly concentrated systems to reduce packaging, boxes delivered and associated storage space.
• Offering phosphate-free cleaning products.
• Encouraging order frequency reduction and load consolidation on the part of customers.
• giving preference to local businesses when outsourcing support services, e.g. catering, cleaning, security and recruitment.
• Voluntary Work (“1,000 hours” scheme)
• STEPS to Work scheme, in partnership with local schools, colleges and universities, to provide work experience placements for students and offer classroom activities and talks to schools.
• Support charitable organisations and appropriate Not For Profit Organisations, not only through funding, but also with the experience and expertise of our employees.
  Cash Donations supporting a cross section of appropriate non-political and non-sectarian projects within registered charities predominantly in the fields of healthcare, disability, environment, education and benevolent societies.
• Encourage employees to volunteer to assist organisations within their local communities, and to raise funds for local charities of their own choice.
  tutoring courses in telesales and direct sales.  The courses are aimed at giving people the training and confidence to get them back into work, with tips on finding the right job and the application and interview process
• Social Rebate to support the local community of the member offering a rebate to be used specifically for local projects with a social or community benefit, up to 1.5% depending on the level of spend achieved.
• Apprenticeship Scheme which provides employments and training opportunities to benefit local communities. In addition to this, we open the doors to our Regional Distribution Centres to encourage local resident participation where anyone who wishes can spend a day in the shoes of a driver/distribution manager/sales person, this offers an insight into roles and identifies areas for skill development.
• Graduate Scheme which is advertised in several Universities Nationwide. The scheme lasts a duration of 2 years and Graduates spend up to 6 months in each key area from Marketing and Sales to Logistics and HR. The Graduates work on exciting projects giving them great insight into the world of a corporate business operation. At the end of the scheme there will be a permanent position available.
• Providing college-grade working space at a subsidised rent to a performing arts college that teaches dance and drama to 70 students. The school is open to the wider community in the evenings and weekends with classes for 80-100 children with ages from 4 years old.
• A % of sales from a selection of best-selling chemicals, found within the pricing specification is given to Macmillan Cancer Support.
• Every month supplying a pallet of toilet rolls and washing up detergent to a local community food bank.

Our new framework covering janitorial and cleaning supplies (formerly known as ‘Estates and Facilities’) is due to launch on 1^st April 2020 and this time it will include specific social value offerings from suppliers. Should you wish to find out more about the framework and social value please contact Ekkehard Kugler on 0161 974 0964 or [email protected].