Ethical and responsible purchases
As part of its Purchasing Policy, GRTgaz takes actions to ensure supplier relations are ethical, sustainable and transparent, in connection with its ethics and compliance policy.
Ethical principles for supplier relations
GRTgaz constantly strives to build ethical relations with its suppliers. To this end, it has set out 5 principles to guide supplier exchanges:
- Principle 1: strict compliance with internal regulations and standards,
- Principle 2: act fairly, transparently and impartially,
- Principle 3: guarantee confidentiality,
- Principle 4: refrain from all conflicts of interest,
- Principle 5: reject all corrupt practises (gifts and invitations).
GRTgaz supplier’s Ethical Charter
Under the so-called “Sapin II” Law, GRTgaz has produced a supplier’s Ethical Charter and a due diligence procedure for suppliers and stakeholders deemed most “at risk” in the areas of human rights, health and safety, and the environment.
In 2019, GRTgaz appointed an external service provider to assess over 15 selected companies from among its strategic suppliers, or which operate in “at risk” business sectors, or which are located in countries at risk of corruption.
GRTgaz is a signatory to the Supplier Relations Charter
This Charter was drawn up in 2015 by the French credit ombudsman (Médiation du Crédit) and the French Purchasing Managers’ Association (Compagnie des Dirigeants et Acheteurs de France - CDAF). It commits its signatories to using good practices and initiating and maintaining trust-based, harmonious relations with suppliers, in particular SMEs.
Its 10 firm commitments include such topics as financial fairness, rules for collaboration, environmental and local responsibility, and compensation for buyers. It forms part of a progressive approach to relations between major buyers and SMEs/VSEs.
GRTgaz’s commitment to small companies and disabled-friendly sectors
GRTgaz supports the professional integration of disabled people by making a portion of its purchases from disabled-friendly sectors (secteurs du travail protégé et adapté - STPA). GRTgaz works with the French National Network for Workers with Disabilities (GESAT), and has set a purchasing target for 2022 that is 25% above the regulatory requirement.
GRTgaz has also made a commitment to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The company supports local entrepreneurship and the economic attractiveness of the territories by making more than 32% of its purchases made from French SMEs in 2022.
GRTgaz also takes care not to place its service providers in situations of dependency towards itself. In 2019, 25 suppliers were monitored to ensure that this was not the case.
Conserving suppliers’ liquidity
Since 2017, GRTgaz has implemented a Reverse Factoring programme in partnership with BNP Paribas Factor. This simple, flexible financing solution allows GRTgaz suppliers to obtain advance payment for invoices under preferential terms.
To sign up to the programme, go to the BNP Paribas Factor website.
Reverse factoring - French version
Support for the Open Innovation initiative
Since 2016, GRTgaz’s Open Innovation Factory has opened the doors to its participative innovation process. The aim is to find innovative solutions to calls for projects in areas linked to new technologies and to the development of new business for GRTgaz, while forging partnerships with SMEs, VSEs, start-ups, mid-caps, laboratories and schools. GRTgaz examines its own ecosystem (competitiveness hubs, incubators, clusters, Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), etc.) and at same time posts its thematic topics on a dedicated website to expand its range of options. After consideration by the jury, the winning solution for each topic is tested, developed or patented, according to its maturity.
In 2020, the issues addressed reflected the challenges currently faced by GRTgaz: support for renewable gases by seeking a solution to purify high-pressure synthetic gases; improving safety by creating more realistic simulation exercises in our gas facilities; “smart” coatings to detect corrosion, etc.
Titre
Find out more about
the Open Innovation factory
the Open Innovation factory
Business Reviews: improving dialogue with GRTgaz’s strategic suppliers
Business Reviews are a genuine opportunity for GRTgaz’s buyers, purchasing advisors and strategic suppliers to exchange ideas. Since 2015, they have been an important tool for managing relations with suppliers.
The reviews give each stakeholder the chance to discuss current events and strategic approaches, and to add visibility to development prospects over the coming years. Ways to improve performance and the sharing of feedback are also addressed. In 2019, GRTgaz set up business reviews with 143 strategic suppliers, which together represented 85% of total purchases.
GRTgaz measures its suppliers’ satisfaction
In 2022, the fourth edition of GRTgaz’s supplier survey confirmed suppliers’ high level of satisfaction with their collaboration with GRTgaz. The survey was addressed to more than 200 companies of all sizes across all purchasing segments. Of these, 80% said they were satisfied with the collaboration, and 85% were satisfied with invoice payment procedures.