Responsible pocurement
We are committed to ensuring that all purchasing decisions deliver value for money while maximising positive social, environmental and economic outcomes. Responsible procurement is defined as a "cradle‑to‑grave" process that considers the full life cycle of goods, services and works and their wider societal impacts.
Our approach aligns with the University Strategy (2025–2030) ambition to create a sustainable, equitable, just, healthy, creative and prosperous society.
Our strategic context
Responsible procurement supports several University delivery themes, including:
- Improving Environment and Sustainability
- Building Prosperity, Equity and Community
- Enabling Healthier Living
- Developing Creativity and Innovation
These themes underpin how we work with partners, suppliers and our local community to tackle inequalities, advance social justice and support Greater Manchester’s net-zero goals.
Sustainability in procurement
Our Sustainability Strategy outlines how we embed environmental responsibility into decision-making across the University, including:
- reducing carbon emissions
- improving waste, water and biodiversity performance
- supporting circular economy principles
- engaging suppliers on sustainability expectations
Procurement plays a critical role in reducing the University’s carbon footprint, as Scope 3 emissions associated with purchased goods and services represent our single largest carbon impact. In 2024/25, procurement-related emissions alone exceeded 40,000 tCO₂e, accounting for more than half of all Scope 3 emissions recorded that year. These impacts significantly outweigh emissions from other categories such as staff and student commuting, international student travel and operational waste.
By embedding sustainability considerations into all specifications, evaluations and supplier engagement activity, we can influence upstream supply chains, reduce lifecycle emissions and ensure that purchasing decisions are aligned with the University’s net‑zero goals and wider regional climate commitments.
We prioritise procurements with significant environmental and social impacts, including Estates, Catering, and Furniture categories, areas already identified as high-risk in our sustainable procurement analysis.
Our Sustainability Objectives in Procurement
To support the University’s environmental ambitions and strengthen our responsible procurement practices, we have set the following objectives:
- Achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2038
We are committed to contributing to the University-wide target of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2038, aligning our procurement decisions with the reduction of Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. This includes applying whole‑life costing, reducing emissions embodied in goods and services, and prioritising low‑carbon alternatives across all categories. - Reach Level 4 of the UK Government’s Flexible Framework
We aim to achieve Level 4 of the UK Government’s Flexible Framework for Sustainable Procurement, ensuring that sustainability is fully embedded in our policies, processes, supplier engagement and monitoring practices. This reflects our commitment to continuous improvement and sector-leading practice. - Embed Scope 3 Carbon Reduction into All Procurement Decisions
With procurement representing the University’s largest source of Scope 3 emissions, exceeding 40,000 tCO₂e in 2024/25, we will ensure all procurement activity actively supports emissions reduction through supplier requirements, product standards, category strategies and responsible contracting approaches. - Strengthen Supplier Collaboration for Climate and Social Value Outcomes
We will work with suppliers to reduce carbon impacts, improve resource efficiency and deliver measurable environmental and social value benefits aligned to University and regional priorities, including the Greater Manchester net‑zero mission.
Responsible Procurement Policy Commitments
The University is committed to:
- Challenging the need to buy and prioritising circular economy principles.
- Considering whole-life costing, including manufacture, transport, operation, maintenance and end-of-life impacts.
- Integrating sustainability and ethical criteria into all specifications and tender evaluations.
- Allocating minimum scoring within tenders to key areas including social value, sustainability and equity, diversity and inclusion.
- Ensuring sustainability considerations are embedded in all new builds and refurbishments via our Sustainable Construction Policy and Estates & Facilities Social Value Framework.
- Supporting suppliers in understanding our expectations and improving their sustainability and ethical credentials.
- Providing fair and transparent opportunities for all suppliers, including SMEs and local businesses.
- Training staff to embed sustainability, ethics and social value in procurement decisions.
- Ensuring our procurement approach supports the goals and delivery commitments outlined in the Salford Civic University Agreement by prioritising activity that enhances local opportunity, supports community wellbeing and strengthens Salford’s economic and cultural resilience.
- Aligning procurement practices with the region-wide ambitions of the Greater Manchester Civic University Agreement, reinforcing collective action on education and skills, reducing inequalities, green transition and inclusive economic growth across Greater Manchester.
- Measuring our social value impact using tools such as the HE TOMs where appropriate.
- Collaborating with local authorities, NWUPC and the wider higher education sector to drive best practice.
Full details are available in our Procurement Policy and Procedures.
Modern slavery
We are committed to eliminating all forms of modern slavery and human trafficking from its operations and supply chain, and conducts appropriate supplier due diligence for every purchase.
This will be explicitly referenced throughout procurement documentation, including RFQs, invitations to tender and supplier onboarding.
Frameworks, tendering and processing
We utilise recognised procurement frameworks, such as those administered by the North Western Universities Purchasing Consortium (NWUPC) to ensure best practice, compliance and value for money.
Where frameworks are used, responsible procurement and social value requirements will be incorporated wherever permissible at the University level.
NETPositive Supplier Engagement Tool
Working with NETpositive Futures, we've introduced a tool for suppliers to generate their own bespoke Sustainability Action Plan. It's free, easy to use and allows organisations to:
- Undertake a simple sustainability analysis of business impacts
- Create a bespoke plan to become more sustainable, in-line with Provider Organisation aspirations
- Find supporting, business-relevant sustainability information
- Demonstrate progress against their individual action plans
- Use the plan to communicate what they are actually doing, not just what they're committed to at a policy level
Electronics Watch
Through our membership of North West Universities Purchasing Consortium, we are members of Electronics Watch, an independent monitoring organisation set up with the purpose of protecting the rights of workers within electronics supply chains. Through this membership we can collaborate to have a positive impact on workers through the electronics we purchase. We are also exploring ways to ensure transparency in supply chains of other goods.
Social Value
Social value forms a key part of our procurement approach, ensuring that University spending benefits people, places and the planet.
Our approach to social value is also shaped by our commitments under both the Salford Civic University Agreement, which formalises our shared responsibility with Salford City Council to support the wellbeing, economic growth and cultural life of our city, and the Greater Manchester Civic University Agreement, a collective pledge by the region’s five universities and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to deliver coordinated action on education, skills, equality, economic growth, net zero and the creative economy.
We fulfil our statutory duties (Procurement Act, Public Services (Social Value) Act, Public Contracts Regulations) and work with suppliers to maximise community-wide benefits such as:
Themes we focus on
These themes also align with our civic responsibilities. Through the Salford Civic University Agreement, we work collaboratively with the City Council to address local priorities such as skills development, child-friendly city initiatives, inclusive growth and community wellbeing.