Suppliers of PwC

The goods and services we purchase from our suppliers, service providers, contractors and other third parties we work with (collectively Supplier/s), are essential resources for our firm. Our Suppliers support us in the work we do to build trust in society and solve important problems.

Procurement at PwC Australia

Our Procurement team manages the purchasing of various goods and services from over 1000 Suppliers each year located in Australia and around the world. These goods and services include stationery, office equipment, facilities management services, HR management services, marketing and events, information and research, technology and communication products, digital apps and software, travel services and many more.

There are two primary ways in which we may approach the market:

closed competitive sourcing exercises - where selected prospective and existing Suppliers are invited to submit tenders, proposals or quotations; and
direct sourcing exercises - where a member of our Procurement team or a buyer in our firm will directly approach a prospective or existing Supplier for the supply.

Depending on the type of supply, we may agree with our Suppliers to enter into standalone one-off contracts, master agreements for multiple engagements with the same Supplier, or in some cases, panel agreements with multiple Suppliers. We also issue purchase orders to our Suppliers that set out the particulars of the goods/services we seek to purchase as well as our standard purchasing terms and conditions.

Principles for responsible procurement and Supplier conduct

PwC Australia is committed to operating within a framework of ethical and professional standards, laws, regulations, policies, and our core values. Globally PwC has been a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact since 2002 and is committed to its Ten Principles for responsible business practices.

We expect the same level of integrity and business conduct from our Suppliers and their personnel as we do our own people. These standards are explained in our Global Third Party Code of Conduct (the Code). In order to work with us, existing, new and prospective Suppliers need to confirm their compliance with the Code and ensure they regularly review their compliance with it.

Additionally, our standard terms and conditions for contracting with Suppliers enable PwC Australia to audit our Suppliers’ compliance with the contract as well as the Code.

Onboarding new Suppliers

In addition to confirming their compliance with our Global Third Party Code of Conduct, we require new and prospective Suppliers to follow our onboarding process as set out below:

Register your business in our Supplier Portal
Suppliers must register their business details in our supply base management portal (Supplier Portal) prior to commencing the supply of goods/services to PwC Australia.
Verify your bank account details
Supplier bank accounts, provided in the Supplier Portal registration, will be independently verified via a third party provider, eftsure.

We use eftsure to ensure that only legitimate information is entered into our Supplier Portal and other finance systems and to protect Supplier payments against potential fraud or error.
Complete the responsible procurement self assessment
Suppliers must complete our responsible procurement self assessment, during the Supplier Portal registration.

The self assessment consists of a number of questionnaires that help us understand how our Suppliers manage their operations and supply chains. We use this information to assess our proposed dealings with our Suppliers in line with our Global Third Party Code of Conduct as well as our regulatory and compliance obligations.

We may, from time to time, request our Suppliers to re-confirm their compliance and information they have provided in the self assessment, including providing us with supporting evidence.

Supplier invoicing & payments

To ensure prompt and on time payment of their invoices, Suppliers must submit their invoices to us in accordance with PwC Australia’s Supplier Invoicing Guide.

Suppliers should ensure their relevant accounts receivable team have reviewed the guide prior to submitting an invoice to PwC Australia.

Sustainable procurement

It is important to us that we select Suppliers who are aligned with our core values. PwC Australia aims to continuously improve the ways in which we work with our Suppliers that will enable us to help businesses and governments solve important problems. We prefer to work with Suppliers who can demonstrate that they share similar goals and have implemented appropriate protocols to positively impact the environment, communities and peopleʼs lives.

Addressing modern slavery

At PwC Australia we believe that it is our responsibility to respect and uphold the human rights of all people and we’re committed to an evolving process of continuous improvement in transparency and accountability.

We do not tolerate any form of modern slavery and we expect our Suppliers to maintain working conditions that meet internationally declared human rights and standards. Our Suppliers must not engage in or support human trafficking or modern slavery, including forced, bonded or involuntary labour, either in their own operations or supply chains.

Click here for more information about how PwC Australia is taking steps to assess and address the risk of modern slavery to people in our operations and supply chains and how we aim to enhance our approach to those risks.

For more information on addressing modern slavery risks to the people in your supply chain, click here.

Supporting local and small businesses

Each year, PwC Australia works with hundreds of Australian small businesses. We understand the importance of positive cash flows for small businesses and the impact it has on their growth and sustainability.

We aim to pay our small business Suppliers on time, every time. Since 2018, PwC Australia has been a signatory to the Australian Supplier Payment Code, which is a voluntary initiative led by the Business Council of Australia to ensure small businesses are paid promptly and on time.

PwC Australia has implemented processes that aim to pay our small business Suppliers within 30 days from the date we receive a valid invoice from the Supplier.

Click here for more information about our Supplier payment terms.