Sustainable supply chain

All UK apprenticeship levy payers contribute 0.5% of their payroll monthly into a levy pot, which can be used for apprenticeship training. Unused funds expire after 24 months, with £330 million returned to HMRC in 2023/24. Since April 2024, employers can transfer up to 50% of their annual levy to other organisations to fund apprenticeships.

To prevent waste and support under-represented groups, Siemens participates in the Co-op Levy Share scheme, allowing it to share unspent levy funds with supply chain partners. This initiative uses an online platform to match donating employers with apprenticeship opportunities.

Partners are encouraged to register their interest via Siemens, then register on the Co-op Levy Share site and create an opportunity. The platform will then match your opportunity with a levy share, and while a match isn’t guaranteed, posting increases the chances of receiving funding.

Register with Co-op Levy Share
Co-op Levy Receiving Toolkit
Co-op Levy Share

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Social enterprises are mission-driven businesses that focus on creating positive social or environmental impact. In the UK, over 131,000 of these enterprises generate £78bn in revenue and employ around 2.3 million people. They reinvest most of their profits to support their cause, promoting a fairer economy, greater social justice, and environmental sustainability. In short: profit with purpose.

Social Enterprise UK is a membership body for social enterprises, creating a network of businesses with a social purpose. It offers a comprehensive directory showcasing social enterprises operating nationwide, helping to connect and amplify impact.

Through incorporating social enterprises within their own supply chains, SMEs have the potential to deliver social value with the money they are already spending, allowing them to play a significant and increasing role in helping to create a fairer, more environmentally friendly and more balanced economy.

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Heart of the City are a London based charity who provide climate action and responsible business training to SMEs, including programmes, events and resources.

The Foundations for Responsible Business is a year-long programme designed to support SME to lead their business responsibly by becoming more ethical, sustainable, and community focused in their approach.

For the past two years, Siemens has funded SMEs onto the Foundations for Responsible Business programme, providing support to help them start and move forward on their sustainability journey. With SMEs making up approximately 65% of the GB&I supply chain, they play a vital role in our goal to become a sustainable business.

Explore the HotC Resource Hub
Try out the HotC Climate Action Toolkit

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Across Siemens globally, our approach to diversity is known as Belonging Transforms - if everyone is included, everyone wins.

Our aim is to develop an inclusive supply chain approach ensuring diversity of thought and innovation are prevalent in all that we do.

To strengthen our diverse supply chain approach Siemens GB&I engages with a number of diverse advocacy organisations, incorporating them as Tier 1 partners, and also actively encouraging our other supply partners to do the same, ensuring scaling of opportunities going forward.

MSDUK are an advocacy for ethnic minority owned businesses in the UK.
WEConnect International are an advocacy for women-owned businesses in the UK.

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The STEM Ambassadors programme, funded by the UK Government and run by STEM Learning, connects volunteers working in STEM industries with young people in schools and communities. These ambassadors help inspire the next generation by supporting activities like workshops, STEM clubs, mentoring, and careers talks, making STEM subjects more engaging and accessible.

You can also become a Climate Ambassador to support schools and educational settings in tackling climate change. Climate Ambassadors help with creating Climate Action Plans, advising on carbon reduction strategies, upskilling educators in sustainability, enhancing biodiversity on school grounds, and empowering students with the skills to address environmental challenges.

Becoming a STEM Ambassador offers personal rewards while making a meaningful impact on young people’s lives. The programme has been especially effective in encouraging students from diverse backgrounds to explore careers in science, technology, engineering, and maths, as well as in research and innovation.

Register to be a STEM Ambassador

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Volunteering programmes have numerous benefits for both business and community. It can form a significant part of a business's social sustainability strategy through community engagement initiatives and as well as promoting employee wellbeing and skill development, it can attract future talent, address social issues and enhance brand image and reputation.

Business in the Community (BITC) is a charity focused on promoting responsible business practices, through changing business, transforming lives and helping the planet and communities thrive. They have developed a toolkit designed to help businesses set up a volunteering programme, including what volunteering is, the benefits, business case, key principles and steps to implementation.

BITC Volunteering Toolkit

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The Real Living Wage is a voluntary wage rate that reflects the actual cost of living, ensuring employees earn enough to meet their basic needs. It is voluntarily paid by over 15,000 UK businesses who believe their staff deserve a wage which meets everyday needs - like the weekly shop, or a surprise trip to the dentist.

Siemens is an accredited Living Wage employer for its own workforce and third party workers, and with a strong commitment to influence our supply chain partners as well.

Adopting the Real Living Wage has both benefits for the employer as well as the employee. From a people perspective, "there is widespread recognition that happier and well-supported employees are more motivated and committed. 94% of our network say they've benefited from accreditation" (Livingwage.org.uk). For employers, it's good for business as well! "paying a real Living Wage helps employers to differentiate themselves in competitive markets, retain existing staff and attract new staff. Over half of employers said paying a real Living Wage has improved the quality of applications for jobs." (Livingwage.org.uk). It is also becoming a differentiator in tenders and questionnaires.

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The Supply Chain Sustainability School (SCSS) is a free learning platform that helps businesses and suppliers improve their sustainability practices. Their goal is to empower businesses—especially suppliers—to meet sustainability standards, comply with regulations, and build resilient, responsible supply chains.

SCSS offer free online sustainability training, including courses, e-learning, and workshops, covering diverse topics from carbon reduction to modern slavery and biodiversity. Companies can also access industry-specific resources tailored for sectors like construction and facilities management, as well as tools and support, such as the Carbon Calculator for emissions tracking.

SMEs gain free access to training and resources on sustainability topics like carbon reduction and responsible sourcing, helping them upskill their teams without extra costs. The platform can support in improving supply chain sustainability, aligning with the expectations of larger clients, and can boost competitiveness in procurement, improving SME's chances in tenders with sustainability-conscious organisations.

SCSS also offers practical tools like carbon calculators and self-assessments to help SMEs track progress and benchmark against industry standards. It aids in regulatory compliance and supports alignment with national and global sustainability goals, such as the UK’s Net Zero Strategy. Additionally, SMEs can discover cost-saving opportunities through energy efficiency and low-carbon practices. Finally, SCSS provides networking opportunities, connecting SMEs with industry leaders, experts, and potential clients to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Explore resources on Supply Chain Sustainability School

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Launched in 2020, the SME Climate Hub is a global initiative of the We Mean Business Coalition that empowers small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to take climate action and build resilient businesses for the future. It provides best-in-class resources and tools specifically tailored to the needs of SMEs and entirely free of charge, to help them measure their emissions, take action, and disclose their progress towards net zero goals. By making the SME Climate Commitment on the Hub, businesses pledge to halve their emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050, and are counted in the UN Climate Change High Level Champion’s Race to Zero campaign.

The hub aims to mainstream climate action for SMEs, which employ 70% of the world's workforce and represent 90% of businesses globally, and supports these companies in their net zero journey with practical resources tailored specifically for small and medium-sized businesses.

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Hosting work experience can provide students with meaningful knowledge that helps them take their first step into the working world. It is also a great way to create a talent pipeline, identifying future employees. Hosting work experience is a useful way to develop new skills within the business, to promote cross-department collaboration, and can create space for new, fresh ideas and perspectives. Furthermore, it is a key element of being a socially responsible workplace, creating societal impact within your local community.

The Careers and Enterprise Company are the national body for careers education in England. They have put together some useful guidance to help workplaces shape meaningful experiences in the workplace for students, including deciding on the scope and design of the programme, as well as how to deliver work experience for students, and evaluate the impact afterwards.

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A number of organisations are available to support your engagement with the future talent pipeline. Each of the following organisations offer free guidance and resources for SMEs - explanations of career routes and pathways, promoting an industry or finding ways to engage with future talent in the workplace to aid with recruitment needs.

The Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) is the Government's careers provision, delivered through local Careers Hubs working with Combined and Mayoral Authorities to address local skills needs. CEC issue guides and resources on vocational pathways, T Levels and Apprenticeships and how employers can get involved to solve their skills needs. They also issue step by step guidance on getting students into the workplace to ease capacity and develop future talent.

Tomorrow's Engineers is delivered through EngineeringUK, which is supported by STEM related Professional Institutions. They issue universal and focused research on topics such as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to support employers in giving messages, as well as offering free to download resources to engage with schools and students.

Engineering UK provide free to access research on all things STEM skills related, including the skills gaps and some deeper dives into topic areas.

T-Levels are vocational qualifications for post 16 students which include a minimum 45 day work experience placement over a 2 year period. For employers this means they can access this talent free of charge, provide experience of the workplace for young people and engage with future talent in a risk free manner to fulfill any skills requirements in the future.

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The Carbon Calculator, part of the Sustainability Tool, helps organisations to measure and track greenhouse gas emissions. Users can either enter known emissions data or fill out a report on key areas like fuel use, travel, energy, materials, waste, and water, which the tool then uses to calculate their Scope 1 and 2, plus some Scope 3, emissions and displays them in a user-friendly dashboard. It also allows emissions to be allocated to clients based on financial turnover.

Free for Supply Chain Sustainability School members, the tool gives both suppliers and clients a clear view of their carbon impact.

The Carbon Calculator is designed to help SMEs who may not have previously measured or reported their carbon emissions. It offers a simple and accessible way to understand their carbon footprint for the first time. By using the tool, SMEs can pinpoint areas where emissions can be reduced, leading to greater efficiency and lower energy and resource consumption. As the UK moves toward its 2050 net-zero target, regulations are expected to become stricter, so starting to measure emissions now gives SMEs a valuable head start in their decarbonisation journey.

Register for Supply Chain Sustainability School
Carbon Calculator Guides & Tutorials

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MeasureUp aligns with the UK Treasury’s new definition of social value as the “wellbeing of the population” value, helping you evidence the difference you're making in the world - properly.

Social Value is an indicator of the social return on investment which many public sector organisations now include in their tenders and contracts, often in the form of a percentage of the contract which needs to be demonstrated in a social value figure. A social value amount is not about spend or cost, it is a figure worked out using a number of different metrics to measure impact.

There are many frameworks available to measure social value as an indicator / output, however MeasureUp is a free tool which provides a guidance figure and allows SMEs to understand the social value as part of their social return on investment.

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Sustainable Technology Finance from Siemens helps businesses adopt sustainable technologies sooner, whether through new investments, building upgrades, or retrofitting existing equipment. This suite of finance solutions is tailored to support sustainability goals without requiring upfront capital, aligning payment plans with measurable sustainability outcomes.

Backed by Siemens’ deep expertise across industry, finance, and sustainability, the program is especially suited for SMEs looking to enhance their environmental impact while maintaining healthy cash flow. It offers a practical and trusted path to achieving long-term sustainability goals.

Siemens Financial Services green finance schemes

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Providing the technology, solutions, and expertise to transform existing and new buildings into intelligent, high-performing, and sustainable assets. Making buildings more environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, and resilient, while also improving the comfort and well-being of their occupants.

Enabling the energy transition by providing turnkey implementation of projects.

• Optimizing Energy Consumption: Implementing solutions for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting, and power management to significantly reduce energy use and costs.
• Reducing Carbon Emissions: Helping buildings transition to cleaner energy sources, integrate renewables, and lower their overall carbon footprint.
• Enhancing Building Performance: Utilizing data analytics, AI, and smart building technologies to monitor, control, and optimize building systems in real-time, ensuring peak efficiency.
• Enabling Decarbonization Pathways: Providing strategies and technologies for customers to meet their sustainability goals, often aligning with net-zero targets and regulatory requirements.
• Integrating Digital Solutions: Leveraging platforms and software to connect various building systems, providing holistic insights and automated control for sustainable operations.
• Offering Consulting and Services: Providing expertise from assessment and planning to implementation, maintenance, and ongoing optimization of sustainability initiatives.

Siemens building energy and performance services

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Discover the Siemens Xcelerator Marketplace: Your platform to innovative technology from Siemens and esteemed partners, sellers, and developers. Drive your digital transformation with a curated portfolio of services, software, and IoT enabled hardware.

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Siemens Supplier Hub: An online resource designed to equip you with the right knowledge, tools and solutions to accelerate your sustainability and digital transformation. We're partnering with you on this exciting journey – your success is our shared commitment.

• Dive into a one-stop shop for expert training, curated insights and cutting-edge sustainability and digital solutions.
• Explore best-practice showcases, find tailored solutions and gain the knowledge to drive your sustainability and digital journey forward.
• Apply as a Siemens Xcelerator marketplace seller to join our ecosystem, collaborate with industry leaders and unlock new business opportunities.

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