Launching UNSW's 2024 Supplier Charter

Collaborating with UNSW’s suppliers for more sustainable and ethical purchasing practices.

UNSW is committed to leading by example in all areas of our operations, including procurement. Our suppliers are an integral part of our community, and their alignment with our principles and Code of Conduct and Values is essential in achieving our broader goals of sustainability, social equity and operational excellence.

UNSW’s updated 2024 Supplier Charter reinforces our commitment to ethical, sustainable and socially responsible procurement. This new version of the Charter, effective from 10 October, introduces enhanced standards of conduct that reflect the University’s core values and strategic priorities. It represents a key milestone in our ongoing effort to partner with suppliers who share our core values and vision for a more equitable and environmentally sustainable future.

What’s new in the Charter?

The updated Charter represents a shift towards greater transparency and collaboration between UNSW and its suppliers. It outlines the University’s own commitments to sustainable and ethical procurement and to working closely with our partners to ensure they understand and can meet these new expectations. 

Procurement, Legal and Compliance, Governance and Conduct and Integrity were all involved in the review of the Charter to ensure alignment and inclusion of UNSW’s policies and procedures.

The updated Supplier Charter responds to the evolving landscape of regulatory requirements and industry best practices, addressing key areas such as:

• Ethical Business Conduct: Establishing a clear framework for transparency, integrity, fraud prevention and fairness in our procurement processes. All suppliers are required to demonstrate strong compliance with ethical standards, including fair labour practices, respect for human rights, and zero tolerance for corruption or unethical conduct.
• Sustainability: The Charter places a strong emphasis on environmental sustainability. UNSW is calling on its suppliers to minimise their environmental impact by adopting practices that reduce waste, conserve energy and support the transition to a low-carbon economy. Suppliers are encouraged to innovate in their product design and logistics to enhance sustainability and support UNSW’s net zero emissions target.
• Work Health and Safety: Ensuring appropriate management of work health and safety hazard risks both within suppliers’ broader operations and the services performed by staff on the UNSW campuses.
• Diversity and Inclusion: UNSW is committed to supporting a diverse supplier base by actively engaging with underrepresented businesses, including Indigenous-owned enterprises, women-owned businesses and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs). 
• Social Value: Ensuring suppliers adopt inclusive employment practices and a diverse workforce and prioritising suppliers that contribute positively to the community through employment opportunities, skill development and inclusive economic growth.

The updated Charter also includes a new section on reporting misconduct to ensure suppliers and their employees, subcontractors and the UNSW community are aware of UNSW’s SpeakUp complaints management system should they wish to report a suspected breach.   

An active framework for collaboration

In tandem with the updated Charter, UNSW is also enhancing its supplier engagement and relationship management processes. This will include capacity-building initiatives to support suppliers in their journey towards compliance and regular reviews of strategic suppliers’ performance against the expected commitments.

For UNSW staff involved in procurement and supplier engagement, the updated Charter means a more rigorous framework for evaluating potential and existing suppliers.

Key actions for staff include: 

• Reviewing supplier agreements: Where appropriate, we may need to revisit existing agreements to ensure compliance with the new Charter. 
• Engaging suppliers on new expectations: Staff should be prepared to discuss the updated commitments with current suppliers and provide guidance on how they can align their practices with UNSW’s requirements. 
• Prioritising diversity, inclusion and sustainability: When selecting suppliers, staff should prioritise those that demonstrate a commitment to diversity and sustainability.

For more information, please visit our Sustainable Procurement webpage and contact William Bailey, Director of Procurement, and Jasmin Lewis, Sustainable Procurement Manager, for guidance on how to engage with suppliers using the new Charter via our procurement processes.