Associations

The Supply Chain Charter aims to foster good working relations across the NDA Estate supply chain, with all parties signing up to a set of principles encouraging mutually beneficial and rewarding relationships.
We will:

Relationships:

• Treat each other openly, fairly, without bias, and how you would wish to be treated
  •  Maintain the highest standards of honesty, integrity, impartiality and objectivity
  •  Only issue genuine enquiries or set out the  basis for requesting a price estimate
  •  Agree objectives and make it clear what is expected of suppliers and potential suppliers.  Where appropriate we will agree common objectives and share in the success of meeting milestones
  •  Provide constructive feedback on performance and behaviour, and encourage 2-way feedback
  •  Define and publicise contact points for handling of supplier enquiries and complaints
  •  Protect commercially sensitive information and respect and protect other’s intellectual property

Planning:

• Make available as much information as practicable on future procurement plans
  •  Enter into early consultation with suppliers or representative bodies on draft acquisition strategies, pricing options, specifications, and statements of requirement where appropriate
• Publish tender lists where appropriate
  •  Make available sufficient time and information for suppliers to respond to the bidding process appropriate for the work
  •  Provide accurate information and updates throughout the procurement process, and  make visible to lower tiers
  •  Identify and manage all conflicts of interest  as early as possible

Performance:

• Apply rigorous health, safety, security and environmental protection standards, and demonstrate responsible environmental performance
  •  Demonstrate the highest professional standards in the award and management of contracts
  •  Provide clear specifications which where appropriate encourage innovation and use industry standards
  •  Manage the bidding process so as to avoid/ minimise the burdens on suppliers, while preserving genuine competition and avoiding discrimination
  •  Make available the criteria for evaluation of bids, evaluate bids objectively and notify the outcome promptly, providing clear and concise feedback to bidders where required  or requested
  •  Not partake in market abuse  or anti-competitive behaviour
  •  Pay promptly for work done within prescribed timescales

NDA Website:

http://www.nda.gov.uk/contracts/supply-chain-charter.cfm

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/799050/Supply_Chain_Charter_-_List_of_Signatories.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nuclear-decommisioning-authority-supply-chain-charter

At FIRMA we value quality and continuous development. The company, whilst small, boasts three chartered engineers with the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. The rigorous requirements of the IMechE give confidence to our clients that we can be trusted. The IMechE actively promotes and requires continuous development of its engineers. In this way, FIRMA is able to use the resources of the IMechE to learn and adapt to the ever-changing engineering environment; in turn enabling us to meet the needs of our clients. We also share the IMechE’s passion for teaching the next generation. FIRMA has sent its engineers into schools to educate and inspire kids to take up the engineering profession.

https://www.imeche.org/

We have partnered with the University of Sheffield on several occasions. The most notable partnership was on the Ghost Lighter than Air Surveillance Drone (LTASD). We worked with Dr Bryn Jones and his team in the Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering. One of Dr. Jones’ team, Oscar Villarreal, was instrumental in designing the control system and software for the Ghost. We worked closely with the Sheffield team who brought the unique expertise needed to make the Ghost a reality.

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/

Part of the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre the AMRC offers apprenticeship programmes and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) which is an essential requirement for any organisation. This gives the ability for employers like FIRMA to upskill, reskill or multi-skill our employees.

The AMRC’s industry-focused courses allow employers like us to respond to needs and changes, ensuring skills levels are maintained within workforces. FIRMA has trained one of their employees from Apprentice to Graduate through the AMRC with great success and looks to them to train many more.

https://amrctraining.co.uk/

The Integrated Civil and Infrastructure Research (ICAIR) centre is a national research facility that seeks to apply world leading research to the construction and infrastructure sectors. It is located in the Sheffield Business Park, not far from FIRMA. We worked with Matthew Gilbert at ICAIR to carry out our test and development work on the FIRMArm. The facility has large pits that acted as useful simulation environments for the Arm. The team at ICAIR were very accommodating and ensured that the FIRMArm installation was successful. We gained invaluable information which led to some important design and operational changes. Without doubt, testing of the FIRMArm would not have been as successful without the help we received from the ICAIR facility.

https://icair.ac.uk/

The SYMCA or South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority has been a key player in aiding FIRMA’s business development, especially in providing routes to grant funding which have helped to facilitate our technology development and the acquisition of significant digital assets, and let’s not forget valuable contacts through their LEPs (Local Enterprise Partnerships) programmes.

The SYMCA LEPs general aims are as follows:

• to originate economic policy, author and maintain a Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) for SYMCA and determine key funding priorities.
• to support the South Yorkshire Mayor in developing the Local Industrial Strategy.
• to ensure SYMCA bids for public funding made available by government for LEPs in support of economic growth.
• to ensure SYMCA policy and decisions receive the input and views of key business leaders and take account of the views of the wider business community.
• to engage with local businesses to understand the needs of different sectors and markets.
• to engage business, opinion formers and policy makers at a national and international level in promoting economic growth in the region.

More information can be found at: South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority – South Yorkshire MCA (southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk)

https://southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk/

The Department for International Trade (DIT) has been a keen advocate for the capabilities of FIRMA Engineering, offering encouragement and support in the form of advice and financial assistance to promote the export of skills and design solutions outside of the UK.

In 2022 DIT provided FIRMA Engineering with information on the global market relating to the export of nuclear decommissioning equipment. This has led to the award of grant funding from the DIT, allowing FIRMA to travel to Canada and Germany to strengthening its position to export the best of British technology.

2023 has seen further grant funding approved by the DIT to assist FIRMA Engineering in the internationalisation of its website to engage global audiences more effectively.

Commercial Director, Lee Chapman explained: ”Beyond the financial assistance provided, the vision and enthusiasm offered by the DIT has broadened our aspirations in terms of what is possible for a technology SME such as ourselves in the global marketplace.”

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-trade