The rewards of public sector tendering are plentiful with over £236 Billion spent in the year 2009/2010.
2500 Contract Notices are published each week and 25% are awarded to Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Unfortunately many businesses do not take full advantage of these opportunities because they are unclear about the process and how to answer the many intimidating questions.
Achieving accreditations and ISO certification is a great way to demonstrate your commitment and capabilities but it only forms part of the tendering process.
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New legislation is expected to replace the EU Data Protection Directive 95/46 and reduce the bureaucratic burden on organisations, while increasing responsibility to protect data, acknowledge and report data breaches.
There will also be stiffer penalties for companies that do not meet the legal requirements.
Three main requirements included in a leaked draft are:
1. Mandatory notification of data breaches. Recommending relevant Data Protect Authorities are noticed and any affected individuals, within 24 hours of a data protection incident.
2. Requirement of named data protection officers in public sector organisations and all companies exceed 250 employees.
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The FSC Chain of Custody scheme is appearing more and more in everyday life. As discussed here last March (http://www.assentriskmanagement.co.uk/b ... 330-132211) it is easy for companies to gain certification to this standard and thus significantly reduce their impact on the world's forestry.
Here we focus in on the 3 types of paper stock certified under FSC CoC:
1. FSC Certified Stock
Completely sourced from sustainable, well managed forestry. However this stock takes around 70% more energy than recycled stock (Below). However, FSC Certified Stock is still a good choice as it can be traced back to source.
2. FSC Mixed Sources
Blends virgin fibres with recycled fibres. At least half of the virgin fibres must be FSC certified.
3. Recycled Fibre.
100% recycled from post-consumer waste from accredited paper-mills.
Conclusion
As you can see, although often considered to be sold at a premium, there are several options for buying sustainable paper product.
For more information on the scheme please contact us on 020 3432 2854.
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The Energy Act 2011 includes provision for the Department for Energy and Climate Change's (DECC) 'Green Deal', a scheme intended to reduce carbon emissions by revolutionising the energy efficiency of British Properties.
Under the Green Deal, there will be no need to pay 'up front' for energy efficiency improvements to properties, instead the cost is recovered through savings on energy bills.
Installers and Assessors are required to complete accredited certification to provide services under the Green Deal and use the Green Deal Mark. The Department for Energy and Climate Change has appointed UKAS to accredit certification bodies for the certification of Green Deal installers and advisors.
It is intended that the Green Deal Scheme will be operational by October 2012.
Contact us for more information contact Assent on 020 3432 2854.
Green Deal Website: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/t ... _deal.aspx
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The area of East London dubbed as Tech City is rich in technology start ups who could benefit from the efficiencies and credibility an ISO management system would bring.
All around Shoreditch and the Silicon Roundabout on Old Street, there are companies that depend on the security and continuity of I.T systems in order to trade.
This is where we have been able to help companies achieve certification to ISO 27001, an Internationally recognised Information Security Standard. The implementation process involves a series of risk assessments across a wide range of business areas.
There is also a basic element of business continuity planning involved, however we usually assist clients in preparing a comprehensive business continuity plan, which could later be certified to BS 25999 standard. Read More...
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