RAG is known for its long-term ties with contractual partners and suppliers. These business relationships are characterised by fairness, probity, integrity and transparency. We value cooperation with companies that respect and operate in line with our principles.
We work under varied and constantly changing social, political and economic conditions. We believe that society’s interests are best served by the free market. RAG advocates free competition. We set out to compete fairly and responsibly, and in conformity with current competition law. We will not prevent others from competing with us.
RAG is not a contracting authority according to the current classification, but is a public undertaking as defined by procurement law. As such, it forms part of the water, energy, transport and postal services sectors in the meaning of the Bundesvergabegesetz (Federal Public Procurement Act).
Since October 2018 we have been obliged to employ electronic procurement (e-procurement). All procurement procedures for supply and service contracts with a value equal to or greater than EUR 446,000, and for works contracts worth EUR 5,548,000 or more, must use electronic means. The latter include electronic notices and tenders, as well as electronic communication with interested parties, candidates and tenderers.
Our company will introduce an e-procurement process for contracts worth EUR 100,000 or more in the course of 2019. This will also extend to master agreements without fixed offtake amounts. As a result, we will be able to ensure that the best bidder in terms of the procurement criteria wins the contract, in a completely transparent procedure.
We have included criteria with sustainability aspects in the procurement documentation for some products. This is the case with power, multi-function peripherals and printers.
The purchasing department works in close consultation with the HSE department. For example, we have strict standards, going beyond the statutory requirements, for the hazardous working materials that can be used at our installations. We regularly use internal processes to determine which hazardous working materials can be replaced by adequate substitutes. To this end, there is an internal information platform that supports cross-company cooperation.
Ongoing information exchanges with local authorities, public agencies and important local institutions are crucial to solid partnerships. Because of this, we constantly seek detailed discussions with stakeholders in order to minimise the environmental and social impact of our activities.
For example, we have developed a communication guide for local residents and councils in order to help them receive more comprehensive information at different stages of our projects, broaden interaction with them, and involve all concerned in the relevant official procedures in a timely and transparent manner.
Our motive for engaging in honest and sincerely meant stakeholder dialogue is our desire to maintain the trust in our company that determines our ability to implement our projects at affordable cost, to spot potential conflicts early on, and to maintain a continuous improvement process.
RAG Austria AG sees itself as part of its host communities. This is shown by our preference for local procurement and job creation. Numerous guided tours of facilities, open days and partnerships demonstrate the strength of our commitment to the regions where we operate. For instance, we carry out regular training courses and drills with emergency services such as local volunteer fire brigades, and offer paid work placements and supervision of master’s theses for students of the University of Leoben, as well as supporting local social welfare projects.
