Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Do buying organisations want all suppliers to sign up to CAESER?

Answer: Yes, buying organisations are expecting their suppliers to demonstrate their commitment to the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Agenda; we believe this is a useful tool for all sizes of companies.

Question: Will suppliers get more business from buyers if they sign up?

Answer: Buying organisations are committed to meeting the Sustainable Development (SD) targets. From a commercial perspective, use of this tool by suppliers, or a demonstration of their commitment to a similar or equivalent tool, is positive, and recognises commitment to the SD agenda. The CSR agenda is growing in importance in the political arena and the information gathered through use of this inexpensive toolkit, can be used by you, as a supplier, when tendering for other business.

Question: If I do not sign up to CAESER will my contract be terminated?

Answer: No, your contract will not be terminated. Typically buyers will explore your organisation’s commitment to this CSR agenda as part of the contract review process. Verification is desirable but not mandatory.

Question: What will the buyers do with the data I provide?

Answer: Your answers will be analysed and assist the buyers of your products and services in developing plans and approaches designed to help you, the supplier, in better understanding and meeting public sector SD expectations.

Question: Will anybody else be able to see my data?

Answer: You can choose to ensure that only your buyers can see your data, alternatively, your profile may be seen by any registered public sector buyer who may then select to engage your organisation for additional products or services.

Question: If I get a low CAESER score, can I complete another questionnaire?

Answer: Yes, if you email the admin team at our normal email address with a request to complete a new questionnaire, they can advise you how to do this. There may be a charge for this service.

Question: What do I do if I don’t understand a question?

Answer: Don’t worry, try reading the online help. If this does not help, just email the admin team at our normal email address.

Question: We have used another system or tool to assess our sustainability. Can we provide this information?

Answer: Yes, however within CAESER data is captured that is Government specific and it would be beneficial for you to complete the CAESER questionnaire. It only takes an hour maximum to complete the questionnaire online.

Question: For what period of time is my assessment valid?

Answer: Your assessment is valid for 1 year

Question: Do public sector buyers expect me to get a better score each year?

Answer: Yes

Question: Is CAESER a new standard for CSR?

Answer: NO, CAESER assess your organisation against many of the current standards and government initiatives such as AA1000 and climate change

Question: Can I legally use this system in my PQQ?

Answer: Yes, provided that your organisation has a CSR agenda documented in your strategic plan.

Question: Can I set a minimum score in my PQQ?

Answer: Yes, provided that you can justify organisational performance in this area against your service or product requirements – it has got to be relevant to the contract.

Question: How do you verify responses and who is liable if suppliers lie?

Answer: The questionnaire has been designed to minimise the opportunity for false statements being made. Each supplier is legally bound to ensure that their responses are true and accurate to the best of their ability.

Question: Does CAESER offer any additional services?

Answer: Yes, CAESER offers an additional verification service that your organisation may wish to use.

Question: Does CAESER offer me the chance to share my best practice with fellow suppliers?

Answer: Yes, the public sector is looking for exemplary organisations from within thesupplier community which we can showcase.

Question: Where will I find the Government’s Sustainable Development targets?

Answer: They can be found at <a href=http://www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/gov/estates/targets.htm

Question: What is a Business Activity Code?

Answer: A Business Activity Code is a code used by the CAESER system to standardise the classification of goods and services provided by organisations.

As part of the registration process, the CAESER system requires the user to add Business Activity Code/s to their account, that best describe their organisation’s business activity.

The Business Activity Codes used within CAESER are based on CPV codes (Common Procurement Vocabulary) and users should use the same codes as they would do when responding to any EU tender.

Question: How do I search for Business Activity Codes?

Answer: To search for relevant Business Activity Codes, users should type in a minimum of three letters. Any words entered into the search box can either be complete or open ended, for example, ‘comput’ will find business activity codes that contain the words ‘computer’, ‘computers’, and ‘computing’. The user should then select the most relevant code.

Question: What happens if I cannot find an exact match?

Answer: Users should select the codes that are most relevant to their business activity. Users can select more than one code to help them better describe the services/products that they offer.

The Business Activity Codes are based on a tree like structure with top level categories first, which are then filtered down to more precise codes. If a user is struggling to find a code that accurately describes their business activity, they should select the top level code. They should then search under this code to see if there are any more specific codes to their business activity.

The CAESER Helpdesk is on hand to assist you and can be contacted at admin@caeser.org