Blackpool Council’s mission states:
“The UK’s number one family resort with a thriving economy that supports a happy and healthy community who are proud of this unique town.”
With this in mind, the purpose of this charter is to set out some guiding principles which Blackpool Council will adhere to and to which it will invite its contracted suppliers, the wider business community, other public sector bodies (including xchools) and third sector organisations to adopt.
The council is a major purchaser within the local economy and seeks to act as a role model of good purchasing practice and recognises that suppliers play a critical role in the delivery of public services. We want to work with suppliers in a way that promotes a clear understanding of the council’s needs.
Charter signatories will consider how they can make a positive contribution to improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of Blackpool in order to help achieve the following priorities.
Council priorities
- “The economy: Maximising growth and opportunity across Blackpool”
- “Communities: Creating stronger communities and increasing resilience”
- “Organisational Resilience: Ensuring the efficient and effective running of the organisation to enable us to deliver quality services”
Charter principles
The charter sets out six key principles which seek to embed the duty of Public Services (Social Value) Act alongside the council's aspiration to ensure all of its partners and suppliers adopt corporate social and ethically responsible and sustainable policies and practices.
- Local employment
- Local supply chains
- Good employer
- Green and sustainable
- Best practice processes
- Supporting our communities
Our commitment to suppliers
Blackpool Council is committed to:
- Operate lawful procurement processes that ensure all rules and policies are fairly applied, which also minimises the cost to suppliers and allows equal access to relevant information
- Encourage a wider and diverse range of suppliers to compete for council business
- Any tender that the corporate procurement team undertake will be advertised on the North West e-tendering Portal – The Chest
- Where appropriate and practicable, Blackpool Council will balance opportunities with value for money by considering the division of larger contracts into smaller lots, to give SMEs and the voluntary and community sector an equal chance to tender for them
- Where appropriate Blackpool Council will conduct supplier days to brief, train and support suppliers to submit compliant tenders
- Respond to enquiries in a courteous, timely and professional manner
- Publish guidance on how to do business with the council in appropriate locations and provide clear specifications avoiding unnecessary and onerous contract terms and information requirements
- Offer constructive feedback to suppliers after award of contracts
- Where invoices are not in dispute, to meet contractual payment terms
- Always act in line with our council values of accountability, fairness, quality, trustworthiness and compassion
Signatories of the charter will commit to or consider the following:
- Local employment - Create employment and training opportunities for local residents, including people with disabilities, and support work placements
- Local supply chains - Support the local economy by prioritising local suppliers and encouraging your supply chain to do the same
- Good employer practices - Ensure fair treatment, safety, and well-being of all employees.
- Green and sustainable practices - Minimise environmental impact and promote sustainability.
- Best practice processes - Maintain the highest standards of integrity, compliance, and collaboration
- Supporting and engaging with our local communities
- Monitoring and reporting - Regular progress reviews with Blackpool Council contract manager to ensure adherence to the action plan
Why will signing up to Blackpool Council's supplier charter be good for my business?
By signing the Charter, you are telling other businesses and customers in Blackpool that you are committed to:
- Spending your Blackpool pound with local companies to maximise the economic benefit to the town
- Recruiting locally, being a good employer and creating opportunities for employee volunteering
- Looking after the local environment
- Supporting the health, well-being and resilience of our communities
- Being an inclusive, supportive employer, advocating fair treatment, safety, and well-being of all employees