Procurement
We pride ourselves in working fairly and transparently towards a sustainable future
Procurement Policy
Southeastern prides itself in sourcing goods, works and services in a fair, transparent and responsible way. It is important to us that our current and prospective suppliers align to our core values and strategy and support us in delivering outstanding service for our passengers, staff and the communities that we serve.
We published our new Procurement Social Value Charter in Summer 2022 which outlines our ambitions to integrate social value into our procurements and outline the minimum expected requirements from our supply chain. This charter includes a wide range of elements including economy, diversity and inclusion, health and wellbeing, sustainable communities, environment and ethics. Our tender process will incorporate relevant social value factors and we will be seeking a proactive approach from suppliers working with us on supporting these objectives.
We recently refreshed our Procurement Policy, outlining how we operate fair and transparent sourcing processes which demonstrate value for money for our stakeholders and comply with relevant regulatory requirements, a PDF version of our Procurement Policy is available to download.
As a member of the rail community, Southeastern utilises two main routes to market for high value requirements: the ‘Rail Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme’ (“RISQS”) and the UK Government’s ‘Find A Tender Service’ (“FATS”). RISQS requires a subscription and applicable audits for the relevant categories of supply. FATS is an open portal and requires no subscription. The vast majority of new sourcing requirements will be via these sources and, in order to ensure transparency, we are unable to accept unsolicited approaches to apply for tender opportunities with for high value or safety critical goods, works or services outside of these methods.
We are always keen to engage with local suppliers in our regions or those with new, innovative products or services to develop our supply chain. If you would like to get in touch, please contact: procurement@southeasternrailway.co.uk
Our higher value or complex requirements typically require a bespoke contract (available via the procurement process). However, our lower value or non-complex requirements are governed by our standard purchase order terms, you can download a copy of the terms & conditions on our purchase order terms page.
Download our Procurement Policy PDF
Social value
Our social value report sets out the progress we have made in delivering a positive social impact over the 2021-22 financial year. We commissioned Larch Consulting to independently assess our compliance with the Cabinet Office Social Value Procurement Policy Note 06/20 considering any additional social benefits achieved through our procurement activity. Five priority areas were assessed, and we achieved a rating of best practice for both equal opportunity and wellbeing.