At Cambridge Consultants, we are dedicated to delivering profitable and sustainable growth by working together with our clients to deliver value through our expertise and our business integrity.

As a global company Cambridge Consultants strives to operate in an exemplary manner and upholds the laws and regulations of the countries in which it operates.

We work with our Suppliers and other business partners to bring added value to our clients and expect our Suppliers and other business partners to comply fully with laws. It is critical to Cambridge Consultants that Suppliers, and their employees, maintain the highest ethical standards and adhere to all applicable laws.

Indeed, our standards can be met only with your cooperation and commitment. You agree to abide by the terms of our Supplier Standards of Conduct, to monitor and audit your compliance with these Standards and acknowledge that compliance with these Standards is required to maintain your status as a Cambridge Consultants Supplier. You are responsible for ensuring that any subcontractors, agents or other third parties that you engage in your work for Cambridge Consultants, where permitted by your agreement with Cambridge Consultants, will act consistently with these Standards.

“Supplier” refers to any business, company, corporation, person or other entity that sells, or seeks to sell, any services or goods to Cambridge Consultants, including the Supplier’s employees, agents, and other representatives.

Our Standards

1. Compliance with applicable international, national, and local laws

We recognize that local customs, traditions, and practices may differ, but we expect as a minimum that our Suppliers comply with local, national, and international applicable laws and international standards, including (but not limited to):

• Human Rights including social and labour rights;
• Occupational health and safety;
• Business ethics including business conduct, anti-corruption, fair competition, export control and trade sanctions;
• Data protection & cybersecurity; and
• Respect for the environment.

2. Human rights

2.1 Equal opportunity and fair treatment

Suppliers will not discriminate on grounds of sex, political opinion, national extraction or social origin, skin colour, race, or other criteria. Suppliers should promote diversity and inclusion.

2.2 Freedom of expression

Suppliers will respect the right to freedom of expression of their employees and commit to a zero-tolerance policy against any retaliation. This should be achieved through open dialogue and the implementation of grievance mechanisms.

2.3 Freedom of association and collective bargaining

Suppliers will respect the right of their employees to join (or refrain from joining) worker organizations, including trade unions, and entering into collective bargaining, as permitted by law. They should ensure that their employees have recourse to consultation and dialogue.

2.4 Harassment-free work

Suppliers will treat employees with respect and dignity and will not use physical or verbal abuse or any other action that creates a threatening workplace. This refers to a range of unacceptable behaviours and practices or threats, and this includes gender-based violence and harassment (including sexual harassment).

2.5 Safe and healthy workplace

Suppliers will provide a healthy and safe working environment for all employees. This includes making sure that adequate facilities, training and access to safety information are provided. Where Suppliers work on Cambridge Consultants’ premises, or on behalf of Cambridge Consultants, for example in the use, handling, transport or disposal of hazardous materials, or the disposal of electronic equipment, they must confirm that they understand their obligations. All applicable health and safety policies, procedures and guidelines must be adhered to and Suppliers must also confirm that they have management processes and controls in place, and where applicable, agree to be fully responsible for any liability resulting from their actions.

2.6 Just and favourable conditions of work and protection against child labour, forced labour, and human trafficking

Suppliers will not use child labour. The term “child” refers to any person under the age of 15 (or 14 where the law of the country permits), or under the age for completing compulsory education, or under the minimum age for employment in the country, whichever is greatest. Suppliers may participate in workplace apprenticeship programs, which comply with all laws and regulations. Workers under the age of 18 shall not perform work that is likely to jeopardize the health or safety of young workers.

Suppliers must not use human trafficking, forced, bonded, or compulsory labour, and employees must be free to leave their employment at any time after providing reasonable notice. Employees may not be required to lodge deposits, money, or papers with their employer unless required by applicable law.

Working hours: Suppliers will comply with all applicable working hours laws and regulations. Workers will not be required to work more than the lesser of the legally permitted maximum number of hours a week or 60 hours a week, including overtime, except in extraordinary circumstances. Workers will be allowed at least 1 day off per 7-day week.

Decent wages: Suppliers will ensure that workers will be paid at least the minimum wage and compensated for overtime hours where required by applicable laws and regulations.

2.7 Personal data protection

Personal Data Protection is part of Cambridge Consultants human rights commitments. As such, it means that Cambridge Consultants commits to ensure that Suppliers will respect the requirements integrated and set out in paragraph 2.8 of this document in order to guarantee privacy & security of Cambridge Consultants’ or its clients’ personal data.

2.8 Artificial intelligence

Suppliers are expected to ensure that their use of artificial intelligence will not in any way negatively impact human rights.

3. Confidentiality and intellectual property

Suppliers and their contractors and employees will maintain confidentiality regarding all Cambridge Consultants’ confidential and business sensitive information they have access to, in accordance with applicable laws or applicable contractual engagement. Suppliers will protect all intellectual property belonging to Cambridge Consultants, our customers, other Suppliers, and individuals.

4. Bribery and corruption

Suppliers shall maintain the highest standards of integrity in all business interactions worldwide. All forms of corruption, such as bribery, extortion or embezzlement, are strictly prohibited. Suppliers will act consistently with Cambridge Consultants’ reasonable directions regarding anti-corruption policies and will implement adequate procedures for your employees to comply with applicable anti-corruption laws. Suppliers must then be aware of and respect all commitments made in Cambridge Consultants’ Anti-bribery Policy.

Suppliers will not offer, promise or provide to any Cambridge Consultant employee a kickback, favour, gratuity, entertainment or anything of value to obtain favourable treatment from Cambridge Consultants. Cambridge Consultants’ employees are similarly prohibited from soliciting such favours from you. This restriction extends to any family members and relatives of both you and Cambridge Consultants’ employees.

5. Unfair business practices

Suppliers will comply with all applicable competition laws and in particular not fix prices, rig bids, allocate customers or markets or exchange current, recent, or future pricing information with your competitors.

6. Conflicts of interest

Cambridge Consultants requires its Suppliers to disclose any conflicts of interest in their business dealings with Cambridge Consultants. A conflict of interest describes any circumstance that could cast doubt on your ability to act with total objectivity with regard to Cambridge Consultants’ interests. Conflict of interest situations may arise in many ways and may arise unintentionally; therefore, it is important to be able to identify, declare and effectively manage conflicts of interest whenever they arise. If you feel that you have an actual, potential, or perceived conflict with Cambridge Consultants or any of its employees, you must promptly declare such conflict to Cambridge Consultants’ management.

7. Insider trading

If you are aware of material, non-public information relating to Cambridge Consultants, its business, its clients, or any other business partner, you must not buy or sell securities or engage in any other action to take advantage of that information, including passing that information on to others.

8. Data protection

With regards to the processing of Personal Data (incl. Data Privacy & Security), Suppliers may act either as Data Controllers (determining the purposes and means of the processing of Personal Data) or as Data Processors (processing Personal Data on behalf of a Data Controller). When the Supplier acts as a Data Controller, they must protect and secure personal data in compliance with all requirements of the applicable data protection laws. When the Supplier operates as a Data Processor, they must comply with applicable data protection laws and specific instructions received from Cambridge Consultants acting as a Data Controller or on behalf of its clients which are themselves Data Controllers. In any case, Suppliers must apply the technical and organizational measures required to ensure a level of security and confidentiality appropriate to the risks to which personal data is exposed, as well as compliance with all legal requirements pertaining to transfers of personal data.

9. Environmental impacts

We recognize that our purchasing and sourcing activities have impacts on the environment and society. We expect our Suppliers and their subcontractors to align with us to meet our social and environmental targets and where appropriate, to participate in our people and community activities as part of our Purchase with Purpose ethos. For each purchase, we will analyse our supply chain to optimize strategy, products and services choices through data in order to achieve our sustainable procurement objectives. We encourage our suppliers to make commitments with the aim of reducing the impact of their business on the environment.