Vendor Promise
How to join
Eight steps, from application to annual renewal. It is free to join while we are starting, and most suppliers can be listed within a few weeks.
- 1
Apply, privately
Tell us who you are through the private portal. It takes about ten minutes. You tell us the company, the countries you supply, who will sign, and whether you already have an anti-bribery policy.
- 2
We say hello, and send the pack
Within five working days we reply with the pack: the policy template, the supplement for your country, the training pack, the register and the launch kit.
- 3
We do a short check
We confirm the company and the signatory, and look for anything that would make a public promise misleading. We may ask questions. We may decline, without giving reasons, and we never publish a refusal.
- 4
A director signs
A director signs the promise and the supplier declaration, from a company email address. This is the moment the commitment becomes public and personal.
- 5
You adopt a policy
Within thirty days, you adopt the policy template or your own, and send us a link or a copy. We help if you need it.
- 6
You are listed, and get the badge
We add you to the list, with your name, website, date and, if you want, a logo and a statement. You get the badge and the embed code, and the launch kit to tell your customers.
- 7
At 90 days: in practice
You confirm, in a short signed note, that your staff are trained, your register is in use, your risk assessment and self-audit are done. You then carry the "in practice" badge. No documents are needed.
- 8
Every year, you renew
A director re-confirms the promise once a year. If a renewal is missed, the listing lapses and disappears from the list by itself.
Questions suppliers ask
+Does it cost anything?
Founding vendors join free. We plan to introduce a small annual contribution, about €100 a year, to pay for legal costs and the running of the standard. It will never buy a listing or a better position: a listing depends only on keeping the promise. Anyone who joins now will be told in writing before any fee starts. The free resources stay free.
+Is it an audit or a certification?
No, and we will not describe it as one. It is a public promise by the vendor, made in its own name. We do not inspect your books. If we are told you have broken it, we look into it, and may remove the listing.
+What does "exposed" mean?
It means the promise is public and personal. A director signs it, your name is on the list, and your customers, competitors and the industry can see it. If you break it, you will have made a public statement that was not true. That is the point: a promise that costs nothing to break is not worth making.
+We pay commission to brokers. Can we still join?
Yes, if the commission is lawful, written into a contract the client has seen and agreed, and paid to the brokerage firm against an invoice. The promise is about what is hidden. It is not about ordinary, disclosed brokerage.
+What if we have paid commissions in the past?
Tell us. We are looking for suppliers who commit to stop and to act openly from now on. We will discuss it with you privately. We may decline if there are credible concerns about current practice.
+What if our staff are asked for commission, and refuse, and lose the order?
That is exactly what the training pack, the sales script and the register are for. The promise protects them. They can say, truthfully, "our policy is public, and I cannot change it".
+What if we have a small business with one or two people?
The pack is designed to be adopted by a very small company. The policy, the register and a short training session take an afternoon.
+Which countries does it cover?
Any. The pack has supplements for the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, and we are adding more. If you operate somewhere else, tell us and we will look into it.
+Can we be removed?
Yes. If we receive a credible concern, we may suspend the listing, tell you in general terms what it is, and give you fourteen days to respond. If it is not resolved, we remove the listing. We never publish the reasons: the page simply says you are no longer a signatory.
+Do you endorse our products?
No. The promise is about how you do business, and says nothing about the quality or price of what you sell.
+Who will see our information?
Only what you choose to publish: your name, website, date, and optional logo and statement. What you tell us in the application is confidential and encrypted.
Read the terms of listing. This is a public promise, not an audit or a certification.