If you are a subcontractor, you will probably have noticed that tender questionnaires are asking more and more about sustainability. It is no longer just about whether you can do the work, how quickly you can do it and how much it will cost. You may also be asked about your environmental policy, carbon emissions, waste management, training, certifications and supply chain. For a small business, it can feel like a lot of paperwork.
Most of the information contractors are looking for is practical stuff you can build into your normal business processes. The trick is having it organised and ready to go.
What are contractors actually looking for? Every questionnaire is different, but there are some common areas that come up again and again.
Environmental policies
You may be asked whether you have an environmental policy and how you manage environmental risks. This does not necessarily need to be a lengthy document. A clear, relevant policy that reflects how your business actually operates is far more useful than something generic that sits in a folder and never gets looked at.
Waste records
How do you manage waste on site? Do you separate materials? Do you use licensed waste contractors? Can you provide waste transfer notes or other records? Keeping this information organised means you can quickly demonstrate that your processes are more than just words on a page.
Carbon data
You may also be asked about your carbon footprint or emissions. For a subcontractor, this could include fuel used by vehicles and plant, electricity consumption, materials, waste or other relevant activities. You do not need to have everything perfectly measured before you can start. Having a clear approach, reliable records and a plan to improve your data is a much better position than having nothing at all.
Training and competence
Contractors want to know that your people understand the environmental responsibilities that come with working on their sites. Keep records of relevant training and toolbox talks and make sure you can show who has completed what.
Certifications and accreditations
If you hold relevant environmental or quality certifications, make sure they are easy to find. The same applies to policies, procedures and other evidence that demonstrates how you operate.
Don't leave it until the tender lands
One of the biggest problems is trying to pull everything together when you have a tender deadline tomorrow. Someone is searching through old emails for a waste certificate. Someone else is trying to find the latest version of your environmental policy. Your carbon figures are in a spreadsheet that nobody can remember the name of. It makes the whole process harder than it needs to be. Instead, create a simple sustainability folder for your business. Keep your current policies, certificates, training records, carbon data, waste information, project examples and relevant supplier information in one place. Then update it regularly. When the next questionnaire arrives, you are not starting from scratch. You are simply selecting the information that applies.
Make sure the evidence matches the work
There is also a difference between having sustainability documents and being able to demonstrate what you actually do.
If you say you reduce waste, have some records to back that up.
If you have a carbon reduction plan, know what your baseline is.
If you have an environmental policy, make sure your site teams understand it.
