FAQ’s
Q: Does Colas Rail UK pay the Real Living Wage (see www.livingwage.org.uk):
A: Yes, Colas Rail UK is committed to paying the Real Living Wage rate for our own staff, but also to staff within our supply chain. For all new contracts entered with our supply chain we will require confirmation of meeting the Real Living Wage as a minimum.
Q: Does Colas Rail UK support the Rail Sector Deal?
A: Yes, Colas Rail UK are happy to support the Rail Sector Deal and be part of the transformation of the rail sector to increase use of digital technology, boost productivity, improve the service received by those who use the railways and build the skills of our workforce.
Q: Is Colas Rail UK able to provide the supply chain with visibility of their pipeline?
A: Colas Rail UK is active in three main areas of work including Infrastructure where our two main contracts include the South Rail Systems Alliance and the S&T Signalling Framework. In Services, we provide Freight haulage and On-Track Plant such as Tampers and Kirow rail cranes. In Urban, our main contract includes the Midland Metro Alliance. Longer term, we hope to be part of High Speed Two. Please see attached link to our procurement pipeline PIPELINE LINK. We aim to update this pipeline every three months.
Q: Does Colas Rail consider Social Value?
A: Yes, Colas Rail commit to placing a greater focus on delivering social value. Across all Group companies we have a Corporate Social Responsibility Charter that we require our Subcontractors and Suppliers to comply with. For all future major procurements (those over £1m) we will have a minimum weighting of 10% for social value as part of our evaluation criteria, where we will ask the supply chain to demonstrate how they are making every pound of public money work as hard as possible. Our Evaluation Criteria will include five themes: Covid-19 Recovery, Tackling Economic inequality, Fighting Climate Change, Equal Opportunities, and Wellbeing. Each supplier will be asked for their proposals as follows:
- Covid-19 Recovery: How will you help local communities to manage and recover from the impact of Covid-19?
- Tackling Economic Inequality: How / are you creating new businesses, jobs or skills? How are you increasing supply chain resilience and capacity?
- Fighting Climate Change: How will you provide effective stewardship of the environment? What environmental innovations do you propose?
- Equal Opportunities: How are you reducing the disability employment gap and tackling workforce inequality?
- Wellbeing: How are you improve health and wellbeing? How are you improving community integration?
Q: Does Colas Rail provide project references for their supply chain?
A: Yes, Colas Rail are happy to provide project references for organisations within our supply chain who are bidding for overseas contracts or export opportunities. Suppliers may request a reference in writing, either on completion of a contract or following a period of 12 months continuous working for Colas Rail. When requesting a reference, suppliers must state the project name, the commencement and completion dates and the relevant category (of works, goods or services). Requests should be submitted to the relevant Procurement Manager within the business where the service was provided.
Q: Does Colas Rail UK support the Rail Sector Deal – Export & Inward Investment Pillar?
A: Yes, Colas Rail UK is keen to support the Rail Sector Deal, however the structure of Colas Rail means that we generally do not export goods or services to other countries, instead we have other entities that work within out territories around the world. We would be happy to connect suppliers to our international teams. Requests for support should be submitted to the relevant Procurement Manager, who will connect you with the name and contact within our overseas offices.
Useful Links
Network Rail Standards Portal Network Rail (ihs.com)