The Riverside Procurement Team have recently purchased ‘Due North’ software for the on-line sourcing of goods and services to replace the antiquated paper based approach.

This software provides a multitude of benefits in relation to sourcing and tendering and provides a ‘Marketplace’ called ‘The Chest’ allowing access to tens of thousands of suppliers across all manner of spend areas.

The software is easy accessible to any potential supplier including SME’s (small and medium sized enterprises), BME’s Social enterprises and can allow their inclusion in procurement exercise without the need for specialist software/training. Not only does the use of the software allow us to dispense with paper tenders and submissions from candidates, it also allows us to more control and flexibility in building our tender documentation templates.

To this end we are able to ensure that every Pre-Qualification (PQQ) or tender released by Riverside through this portal, includes our standard requirements on Social Value and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) which can be weighted and assessed accordingly in each opportunity. We have included questions which require that bidding organisation to have sufficient CSR polices and provide detail on how it is enforced throughout their organisation.  We also require bidding organisations to disclose (and provide detail) if they have been charged with offenses relating to environmental legislation.

We also have a specific section of their bid which carries a significant weighting requiring an organisation to detail their approach to Social Value and what offering they would provide from the menu of Social Value services.