Buyer Code of Conduct

This is The Independent Buying Groups’ Buyer Code of Conduct. We expect our buyers to commit to upholding the highest standards of business conduct and to give suppliers complete confidence when you purchase their services.

This code outlines the standards we expect from every buyer who has the CALM Verified Buyer Certification & access to our CALM Supplier Directory.

 

C - CLEAR Communication

Building trust through transparency and reliability. Our buyers commit to:

Honest representation - accurate description of what you need your supplier to deliver, or openness if there are areas that still need to be developed to ensure a specific scope is agreed.

Upfront budget commitment - commit to having the budget available to pay your supplier on completion.

 

A - ACCOUNTABLE Delivery

Delivering any project requires partnership. Our buyers commit to:

Work together in partnership - collaborate with your supplier to clearly agree on timelines and quality standards before a project starts.

Take responsibility - own any mistakes and work quickly to fix any issues that arise

 

L - LEGAL Standards

Operating with proper standards and protections. Our buyers commit to:

Professional conduct - maintain adequate insurance, meet industry standards and follow all legal requirements, never asking our suppliers to breach these standards.

Confidentiality protection - keep your suppliers’ business and project information completely secure

 

M - MORAL & Ethical

Doing the right thing for customers, employees, and the environment. Our buyers commit to:

Prompt payments - pay invoices as agreed for project delivery

Environmental responsibility - consider environmental impact and contribute positively to communities

Ethical practices - fair treatment of employees and ethical business operations

 

When Things Go Wrong

If problems happen, buyers commit to:

  • Fix issues quickly - respond fast and explain what they'll do to address the issue

  • Take responsibility - own their mistakes and make things right

  • Work with the buyer - find a solution that works for everyone

  • Use our Complaints Process to find a resolution if both parties can not resolve the issue between themselves

 

Consequences of breaching the Buyer Code of Conduct

Buyers who breach the Buyer Code of Conduct could face:

  • A Warning for a small issue

  • A Final Warning for multiple small issues or a serious breach

    A Final Warning will result in the removal of your CALM Verified Buyer Certification & removal from our CALM Supplier Directory.

 

The objective of our Code of Conduct for suppliers :

We maintain these standards so that every CALM Verified Buyer works with our Suppliers in a Clear, Accountable, Legal, and Moral way. This ensures that suppliers can work with you knowing you have committed to a fair and transparent relationship with them.

For questions about this code or to report concerns, please get in touch with us at hello@theindepenedentbuyinggroup.co.uk

This Code of Conduct applies to all Verified Buyers and is effective as of 1st August 2025.