Sustainable Procurement

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Every purchase has intended and unintended economic, environmental and social impacts. Sustainable procurement is about consciously considering those impacts and seeking to make intentional positive community contributions.

The City integrates economic, quality, environmental and social value considerations into procurement processes for goods, services and construction projects, to the extent permitted by the City's trade agreement obligations.

The Sustainable Procurement Policy - C556B provides a framework for our purchasing activities in order to create intentional positive environmental, social, and economic impacts, while maintaining open, fair and transparent procurement processes.

In an effort to make meaningful improvements to the City’s Sustainable Procurement initiatives, the City is seeking a more thorough understanding of the diversity of ownership within its supplier base.

Using the Supplier Enablement process, new suppliers to the City of Edmonton will now be asked if their ownership falls within one or more of the 10 categories including Social Enterprise, Social Purpose Organization, Indigenous-owned business, Women-owned business, Business owned members of a visible minority, Business owned by persons with disabilities, Veteran-owned business, Business owned by 2SLGBTQQIA+, Youth-owned business, Immigrant or refugee-owned business.

Responses to this question are optional but appreciated, and in no way impact the supplier’s relationship with the City.

Ethical Standards

Suppliers and subcontractors are required to adhere to minimum standards related to ethical business practices. These ethical standards encompass minimum requirements related to:

Labour standards
Employee treatment
Wages and benefits
Working conditions
Ethics standards

All suppliers entering into a procurement agreement with the City of Edmonton using a City standard form of agreement will agree to the terms of the City’s Supplier Code of Conduct.

Environmental Sustainability

The City of Edmonton will identify and integrate environmental sustainability requirements into purchasing procedures and supply chain management processes to advance the City's progress to achieving and maintaining climate resilience including emissions management, reduced pollution, energy efficiency and waste minimization.

Indigenous Procurement

The City will create pathways for Indigenous businesses and the Indigenous
community at-large to realize social and economic impacts through the City's existing purchasing needs.

The Indigenous Procurement Framework , as may be amended by Administration from time to time, is intended to address barriers to and increase participation of Indigenous-owned businesses in the City’s procurement processes. It is intended to apply to procurements across the corporation with the objective of removing barriers and building capacity within Indigenous businesses to more fully participate in City procurement processes.

Social Value Considerations

Our Social Procurement Framework is focused on 4 purchase outcomes to integrate community social value: Employment, Skills and Training; Social Value Supply Chain, and Community Development.

Criteria

More employment opportunities for youth
Describe how you currently recruit, retain and support employment of youth. Describe how your organization will (or continue to) recruit, retain and support employment of youth in performance of the contract, and how you would monitor and measure this.
More employment opportunities for women
Describe how you currently recruit, retain and support employment of women. Describe how your organization will (or continue to) support employment of women in performance of the contract, and how you would monitor and measure this.
More employment opportunities for Indigenous Peoples
Describe how you currently recruit, retain and support employment of Indigenous Peoples. Describe how your organization will (or continue to) recruit, retain and support employment of Indigenous peoples in performance of the contract, and how you would monitor and measure this.
More employment opportunities for people living on low incomes
Describe how you currently recruit, retain and support employment of people currently living on low-incomes. Describe how your organization will (or continue to) recruit, retain and support employment of people currently living on low-incomes in the performance of the contract, and how you would monitor and measure this.
More employment opportunities offering a living wage and safe working conditions
Provide the number or percentage of current employment opportunities that offer a living wage as well as the number or percentage of employment opportunities in the delivery of the contract that will offer a living wage. Provide information on how you ensure safe working conditions for all employees.
More long-term stable employment for targeted groups
Provide the number of long-term, stable (full-time, no end-date) employment opportunities available to targeted groups in the performance of this contract (and beyond).
More employment opportunities for people with disabilities
Describe how you currently recruit, retain and support employment of people with disabilities. Describe how your organization will (or continue to) recruit, retain and support employment of people with disabilities in performance of the contract, and how you would monitor and measure this.
More employment of people living in sub-standard housing
Describe how you currently recruit, retain and support employment of people living in sub-standard housing. Describe how your organization will (or continue to) recruit, retain and support employment of people living in sub-standard housing in performance of the contract, and how you would monitor and measure this.

Skills and Training

Criteria

More apprenticeships and training available to targeted individuals
Describe how your organization does and/or would provide training or access to training opportunities that would prepare barriered and/or targeted individuals to be employed to be engaged in performance of the contract, and how you would monitor and measure this.
School and higher education engagement
Describe how your organization currently does or would engage with local schools and higher education institutions to design curriculums that prepare barriered and/or targeted individuals for employment in performance of the contract.
More employment readiness training available to targeted individuals
Describe how your organization does and/or would provide employment readiness training or access to employment readiness training opportunities that would prepare barriered and/or targeted individuals to be employed to be engaged in performance of the contract, and how you would monitor and measure this. Responses could include: Supporting people into work by providing career mentoring, including mock interviews, CV advice, and careers guidance, Offering opportunities for work experience or similar activities, Encouraging and providing a level playing field to persons from all backgrounds and circumstances.
More training with recognized qualifications available to targeted individuals
Provide the number of current training opportunities with recognized qualifications that your organization provides, and if known, the number of opportunities currently provided to targeted individuals.
Career development opportunities available to current and prospective employees
Describe the current career development opportunities available to current and prospective employees.

Social Value Supply Chain

Criteria

More Procurement from Social Enterprises (SEs), Not for Profits (NFPs) and diverse suppliers
Describe how your organization would ensure a diverse supply chain that is accessible to all types of businesses, including where appropriate SEs, NFPs, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and diverse suppliers and how you would monitor this.
More procurement from local SMEs
Describe how your organization would ensure a diverse supply chain that is accessible to local SMEs and how you would monitor and measure this.
Greater supplier diversity
Describe how your organization would ensure a diverse supply chain that is accessible to all types of businesses owned by targeted groups and how you would monitor and measure this.
More procurement from regional SMEs
Describe how your organization would ensure a diverse supply chain that is accessible to regional SMEs and how you would monitor and measure this.
More procurement from social enterprises
Describe how your organization would ensure a diverse supply chain that is accessible to social enterprises and how you would monitor and measure this.
More Social Enterprises and local SMEs featured on pre-qualification list
More sub-contracts issued to SEs, NFPs, SMEs and diverse suppliers

Community Development

Criteria

Provision of retail and public spaces to Social Enterprises (SEs), Not for Profits (NFPs) and local Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs)
Describe how your organization, through the performance of the contract, would support local community initiatives and priorities.
Community engagement / consultation
Describe how you will engage with and consult the local community before and for the lifespan of the contract. If applicable provide examples of previous experience with community engagement and consultation during projects.
Provision of community services
Describe how you will provide community services to the local community.
Cultural contributions
Describe how you will provide cultural contributions to the local community.
Donations to local community organizations, programs, and/or projects
Provide information around how you will make donations to local community organizations, programs or projects, including any you have already identified.

For More Information

Title	Corporate Procurement & Supply Services
Email	procurement@edmonton.ca