RCT Homes Wales Responsible Procurement Award

To achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) and deliver on the promises made to tenants - to improve employment, training and up-skilling opportunities. RCT Homes ‘hard-wired’ targeted recruitment and training clauses and local supply chain development within the contracts it offered to the local economy. This motivated RCT Homes to select its contractors and supply chain partners based, not only on a rigorous test of their cost competitiveness but by also demanding that prospective contractors and supply chain partners were prepared to support the economic regeneration of some of our most disadvantaged communities, by recruiting and training local people and sustaining local businesses.

RCT Homes CEO Andrew Lycett told the Pontypridd Observer, “We held a special workshop involving dozens of RCT Homes’ tenants and staff to decide on the criteria for awarding contracts. It was agreed that we wouldn’t simply choose the cheapest contract – factors such as the standard of workmanship, how the contractors conduct themselves and their relationship with tenants would play just as big a role in deciding who was appointed.  Most importantly, tenants wanted contractors to spell out the ‘social inclusion benefits’ – the creation of new local jobs and training opportunities – that would be delivered”.