FSD AFRICA SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT GUIDELINES

The FSD Africa Sustainable Procurement Guidelines establish a tiered approach to embedding sustainability into the procurement cycle, moving beyond the lowest price to determine the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT). The guidelines categorise procurement into goods and services, individual consultancies, and consulting firms, with requirements scaling based on contract value. Key priorities include supporting local African economies, engaging diverse suppliers (women, youth, and persons with disabilities), reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and ensuring compliance with a Supplier Code of Conduct. The document provides a five-step procurement cycle—planning, criteria development, code of conduct adherence, evaluation, and monitoring—supported by specific tools such as the Sustainability Issues Prioritisation (SIP) Worksheet and a Sustainable RFx Clauses Menu.

• The organisation's sustainable procurement strategy is built on four pillars: Environmental (GHG emissions, energy efficiency, waste reduction), Economic (MEAT), Social (equity, diversity, inclusion, and local economic development), and Ethical (reducing risks of child labour, human trafficking, and labour exploitation).
• FSD Africa specifically prioritises the engagement of local suppliers based in Africa and diverse suppliers, including those that are women-owned, youth-owned, or minority-led.
• Procurement requirements for consultancies vary by contract size: small contracts (<£50,000) focus on feasible sustainability criteria and basic strategies, while medium/large contracts (>£50,001) require detailed sustainability strategies, monitoring systems in contracts, and a preference for certifications like B-Corp, ISO, or Fair Trade.
• For business travel, the guidelines mandate a hierarchy of preferences: essential travel only, economy class flights, direct flights, and the use of carbon offsets to neutralise impact.
• The guidelines implement a five-step procurement cycle: Planning (using the SIP Worksheet), Criteria Development (using the RFx Question Menu), Supplier Code of Conduct (mandatory signing), Evaluation (using the Sustainability Evaluation Guide), and Monitoring Performance (via sustainability KPIs).
• FSD Africa recommends an initial weighting of 5% for sustainability value-add in procurement evaluations, to be scaled as supplier practices mature.

APA

FSD Africa (n.d.). FSD AFRICA SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT GUIDELINES. https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/24-11-13-FSD-Africas-Sustainable-Procurement-Guidelines.pdf

Chicago

FSD Africa. FSD AFRICA SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT GUIDELINES. n.d. https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/24-11-13-FSD-Africas-Sustainable-Procurement-Guidelines.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=FSD Africa |title=FSD AFRICA SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT GUIDELINES |url=https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/24-11-13-FSD-Africas-Sustainable-Procurement-Guidelines.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fsdafricandfsd, author = {{FSD Africa}}, title = {{FSD AFRICA SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT GUIDELINES}}, institution = {FSD Africa}, url = {https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/24-11-13-FSD-Africas-Sustainable-Procurement-Guidelines.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }