Supply Chain

EDF Energy is a significant purchaser of goods and services. We continue to make procurement cost savings as a result of the integration of the company and have identified further savings during 2005. We are looking to develop closer purchasing procedures with our parent, the EDF Group, to maximise the advantages associated with buying at a global scale.

Cost savings must be balanced against the need to ensure sound social, environmental and ethical performance within our supply chain. We need robust systems to ensure that our purchasing decisions do not encourage poor labour standards, reduced human rights or bad environmental practices either in the UK or overseas.

EDF Energy uses the Achilles Utility Vendor Data Base (UVDB), which is a registration system for our supplier base. UVDB requires prospective suppliers to answer a number of pre-qualification questions covering their safety, environmental and quality management systems. The UVDB is then used in conjunction with our pre-qualification process to ensure that we only submit tenders to qualified suppliers. In addition, we have also adopted the Achilles 'Verify' system which audits suppliers answers to pre-qualification questions.
Download our full Procurement Policy [PDF].

During 2005 we have developed an Ethical Procurement Policy [PDF] that builds upon the UVDB process. It incorporates the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) Base Code and environmental considerations while remaining mindful of the applicable EU procurement laws.

The development of this policy, and our management of wider ethical supply chain issues, will form the core theme of a procurement team conference in the summer of 2005. Updates on progress will be available on this website.