What equality measures can be included in a tender?

Public tenders are basically the entrance door to get contracts with the government. If you want to sell something to the State, you need to go there, yes or yes. Now, the interesting thing is that it is not enough to throw any tender in the air and voila. You have to design them well, because if not, discrimination and inequality are strained everywhere. The joke is that everyone has a chance, not just the usual ones.

What can be done to make the process more fair? Well, a lot of things. For example, many times it is requested that companies have equality policies, and that adds points when they choose the winner. If your company has an equal plan, it promotes diversity or helps people to balance work with personal life, that puts you ahead of others. Thus, at the outset, not only does the price you put matter.

Then there is the roll of reserving certain tenders for those who normally have it more difficult. What if some opportunities are only for SMEs, cooperatives, companies led by women or people who usually stay out of the market? It is not so far -fetched; In fact, it already happens on many sides. And the truth, that gives a push to those who need it the most.

Another fairly useful story is the famous social clauses. Basically, the government tells you: "If you want my contract, you have to comply with certain rules of equality." Nothing to discriminate against people in the company, and if you can, better yet, commit yourself to form and hire people who are unemployed or at risk of social exclusion.

And be careful, not everything ends with putting beautiful rules on paper. The process also needs to be transparent. No rare favoritisms or hidden information. Everyone who wants to participate must have access to the same info and know exactly how offers will be evaluated. If not, the pig sneaks out the window.

Of course, all this of equality is not something that can be put halfway. You have to think about it from day one to the last one: from the fact that the tender is designed, through the selection, the execution, and to the follow -up. If a company does not comply with what it promised in equality, then that a sanction falls, isn't it?

In the end, putting equality measures to tenders is not only because the law says it (although, many times it is mandatory). It is that, honestly, services and products improve when there is more diversity, real competition and opportunities for all. So if you plan to launch yourself to a public tender, you better put your batteries with this issue. It is not optional, and you can give you the advantage you need.