Code of Conduct for Suppliers

1.    Our Organisation

An Post is the Irish Post Office and was established as a commercial company in 1984. One of the oldest institutions of the State, a national organisation with a high profile and a long tradition of service to the Irish people. It operates the national postal service as well as various money transmission, savings and retail services such as foreign exchange, bill payment and insurance throughout Ireland and provides agency services for Government departments and other bodies.   
At An Post we recognise that our operations impact every county, community, household and business in Ireland. We are one of the largest employers, we maintain one of the largest fleets and we operate the country’s largest retail network. With a presence in every community, we have a responsibility to ensure that we leave a better world for future generations.

A network of 913 post offices and the Group produced revenues of €888.1 million during 2022, servicing some 2.4 million delivery points and handling transactions with an annual value of €13.4 billion over its counters. The Group operates a number of subsidiary and associated businesses, such as Post Insurance, Air Business and the Prize Bond Company, in Ireland and the United Kingdom. It also runs the GPO Witness History centre. 

Our reputation for honest, friendly, and efficient service has won the trust and confidence of those with whom it deals. The protection of this reputation is of fundamental importance to An Post and a key ingredient for continuing success. 

2.    Aims and Expectations

An Post as a contracting authority is subject to the Public Procurement Directive 2014/25/EU, and amending acts governing the Utilities sector.  Our objective is to ensure An Post operates in a fair, open, transparent and non-discriminatory manner in the marketplace, offering equal opportunity to all qualified suppliers, inclusive of local suppliers, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), where applicable. 
An Post are revolutionising our operations to reduce waste, source sustainably and improve efficiency. Partnering with industry leaders to ignite innovation, collaborating and sharing what we have learned with others. Making a positive impact on our communities and our planet, leading the way in making sustainable living commonplace in Ireland.
The An Post “Code of Conduct for Suppliers” is intended to guide the conduct of suppliers, sub-contractors, and agents where services are being provided to An Post. We commit to treating our suppliers with the same level of professionalism, integrity, and accountability that we expect from our own organisation.
Our Code of Conduct for suppliers sets out our aims and expectations, where applicable, to encourage and enable a supply chain that is sustainable and has a long-term positive impact on our local and global economy. 

3.    Code of Conduct

3.1    Doing Business Responsibly

We are committed to complying with the highest standards of governance, business integrity and professionalism in all our activities. 
An Post are committed to conducting our supplier engagement in a fair and transparent manner. We value working collaboratively to encourage and support improvement and efficiencies, whilst adhering to our legal & regulatory obligations, and as a policy do not engage in reciprocal trading.
 

Our expectations of Suppliers:

• Comply with relevant Industry standards and best practices
• Not to engage in any anti-competitive practices including price fixing, bid rigging or market sharing 
• Manage your own suppliers appropriately to mitigate supply chain risks, and ensure that they are aware of the aims of this Code
• Carry out own supplier on boarding assessment process in a transparent manner, with openness and integrity
• Treat your suppliers fairly and with respect
• Pay your suppliers on time and within the agreed timeframe
• Identify, prevent or manage conflicts of interest that may arise, including any personal conflicts of interest that your staff may have

3.2    Sustainability

We aim to embed sustainability in everything we do within An Post. Every day, sustainability informs all aspects of our business and enables us to deliver benefits to our employees, our customers and the communities we serve. 

An Post commits to conducting business responsibly and to be advocates for sustainable procurement by promoting public procurement practices that are sustainable and in line with EU Legislation. 

An Post’s Sustainability Report provides an explanation of what sustainability means for An Post, including our impact on the broader sustainable development agenda, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Our expectations of Suppliers:

• Cooperate and support An Posts sustainability initiatives for supply chain operations and sustainability goals
• Identify the direct and associated environmental opportunities within your supply chain
• Work in collaboration with An Post to establish opportunities to introduce more environmentally friendly and sustainable goods
• Adopt a circular economy and environmental sustainability approach which endeavours to cover the lifecycle of products, where relevant 
• To consider engagement with social and community initiatives and groups impacted by your business operations, where relevant

3.3    Environmental, Social and Labour Law

An Post are committed to abiding by applicable obligations in the field of environmental, social and labour law, that apply to An Post, that have been established by EU law, national law, collective agreements or by international, environmental, social and labour law.  

Our expectations of Suppliers:

• To comply with all applicable obligations in the field of environmental, social and labour law that apply at the place where the Services are provided, that have been established by EU law, national law, collective agreements or by international, environmental, social and labour law.  
• Where applicable, obtain information regarding your obligations concerning: 
  • Taxation from the Irish Revenue Commissioners (www.revenue.ie).  
  • Environmental protection from the Environmental Protection Agency (www.epa.ie).  
  • Employment protection and working conditions from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (www.djei.ie).  
• Be solely responsible in law for the employment, remuneration, taxes, immigration and work permits of all personnel retained for the purposes of providing the Services 

3.4    Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At An Post we are striving to develop an inclusive workplace where everyone feels accepted, supported and valued – a place where every employee feels they belong. We appreciate the value that diversity brings and believe our workforce should be reflective of the customers and communities we serve. 

An Post, working together with our group of Trade Unions, is committed to maintaining a workplace environment that encourages and supports equality, diversity, and inclusion ensuring it is embedded into our day-to-day working practices, led by our purpose, our values and our behaviours.

Our expectations of Suppliers:

• Be an equal opportunities employer that does not discriminate against any employee or job applicant on the grounds of Disability, Family status, Religion, Sexual orientation, Membership of the Travelling community, Age, Civil status, Race or Gender, and which provides reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities in relation to employment (access, participation, and training)
• Provide D&I training to their employees to ensure the promotion of dignity, respect and D&I in the workplace, and encourage an environment free from unlawful discrimination, harassment or victimization
• Undertake D&I initiatives to challenge discrimination and encourage good practice in inclusion and belonging in the workplace
• Address and monitor D&I related complaints
• Adopt an Equality, Diversity & Inclusion action plan that demonstrates actions to support inclusion

4.       Raising Matters of Concern

An Post are fully committed to ensuring there is an ethos of Anti-Bribery and Corruption embedded within our culture. An Post have focused on top level commitment from the Board of Directors, Management Board, and all the way through our organisation to all An Post employees. 
An Post has a confidential reporting process, which allows employees, customers, suppliers or other external stakeholders to raise concerns they may have about unethical, inappropriate or illegal behaviour. 
If you need to raise a concern, please contact An Post at anti.bribaryandcorruption@anpost.ie