Equalities & Procurement

The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public bodies to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations in the course of developing policies and delivering services. The aim is for public bodies to consider the needs of all individuals in their day to day work, in developing policy, and in delivering (including procuring) services.

Equality in procurement involves ensuring that not only are our suppliers appointed fairly but also that there is equality in service delivery and that our suppliers practice equality in employment.

It is important that equality is integrated into the Council’s procurement policies and processes and not just merely an add on. Taking this approach will help us to deliver better services that meet the needs of the diverse community of Leicestershire by building into the contract equality requirements where relevant and then ensuring compliance.

Building equalities into the procurement process enables the Council to:

The Council’s Sustainable Commissioning and Procurement Strategy includes information about how Equalities issues are considered when carrying out a procurement exercise.