Suppliers Portal

The Central Purchasing Department, responsible for purchases within the scope defined by the relevant Guidelines and Rules, oversees the acquisition process by ensuring the regularity and consistency of purchases with respect to the guidelines consolidated in the policies and internal regulations of reference, also through an e-sourcing application solution called Supplier Gate which:

• it allows you to make the selection of suppliers already during the registration phase with the Supplier Gate by means of an assessment that takes into account not only the economic-financial and technical-organizational characteristics of each supplier, but which also includes assessments on business ethics, respect for human rights, workers' rights and the environment. Only if the result of this assessment is positive, suppliers are registered in the Group Supplier Registry and can be invited to acquisition events
• allows to equate market comparisons (so-called. Tenders) - already managed on the Supplier Portal - also the events acquired relating to Direct Negotiations, strengthening the qualification process, the verification of suppliers/sub-suppliers and third parties and their controls/monitoring over time.

When registering on the portal, suppliers read the Intesa Sanpaolo Code of Ethics and subsequently, in the event of stipulation of the supply or service contract, they also undertake for their representatives, employees, collaborators and subcontractors to respect, in the execution of the assignment conferred, the principles contained in the Code as they relate to themselves. They must also read the Organisation, Management and Control Model (Legislative Decree 231/2001), the Group's Internal Code of Conduct and the principles on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

The evaluation of the suppliers who have registered takes into account not only the economic-financial and technical-organizational characteristics of each of them, but also the aspects concerning business ethics, respect for human rights, workers' rights and the environment, on the basis of what has been declared through the compilation of specific questionnaires and/or the possession of certain certifications. If the result of this assessment is positive, suppliers are qualified in the Group Supplier Register and may be invited to acquisition events.

During 2023, a new application platform was implemented, interfaced with the Supplier Gate1, for the management of the qualification process and for the monitoring of counterparties of interest, with the aim of automating the collection of all the information necessary for their assessment, determining a qualification score (Global Score) and focusing control activities on the most critical aspects. The evaluation of suppliers who have registered, on the Supplier Gate portal, takes into account not only the economic-financial and technical-organizational characteristics of each of them, but also the aspects concerning business ethics, respect for human rights, workers' rights and the environment, on the basis of what has been declared through the compilation of specific questionnaires and/or the possession of certain certifications (including ISO 50001 and 14001 and the adoption of an energy management system compliant with ISO 50001 standards)tag. The ESG score obtained, included in the Global Score, is also made available through internal applications and resources and through specific management dashboards that make it possible to obtain aggregate information, by number of suppliers and by value of expenditure, among those that have obtained a high, medium or low score.

Suppliers with a medium or high ESG score receive an increasing percentage improvement in their Global Score (score that determines the supplier's ability to be selected and used by the Group). This approach rewards the most virtuous suppliers from an ESG point of view, guaranteeing them a better positioning than competitors with similar performance in other areas.

From 2024, the completion of the ESG questionnaire, which aims to map the sustainability profile of suppliers on environmental and social dimensions and to define improvement plans, has become mandatory to allow participation in tenders through the Group Supplier Portal. 

The Group's goal is to complete the ESG mapping of all active suppliers by 2025, with an 86% level of progress recorded at the end of 2024.

The ESG score, which results from the completion of the aforementioned questionnaire and the possession of certain certifications in line with the Group's criteria, expresses the quality of the supplier on ESG issues and can influence the choice of the best suppliers, in relation to specific purchasing needs.

It follows that, in relation to specific product categories with a greater environmental or social impact, suppliers who do not comply with the minimum requirements may be excluded from negotiation events.

The Supplier Portal has allowed a constant and considerable improvement in communication with suppliers and an increase in the degree of transparency of the relationship with them; the latter have already read the Organisation, Management and Control Model pursuant to Legislative Decree no. 231/2001, of the Code of Ethics and the Group's Internal Code of Conduct and also requires the latter to sign at the same time for acknowledgement

Starting from 2025, for tenders relating to the so-called "green" product categories (which are defined by the "Green Banking Procurement Rules") and without any geographical distinction or supplier size, it is intended to disclose to the internal contact persons, who carry out the technical assessment, also the ESG Score at counterparty level (if already present in the Group's systems) and the ESG score determined by filling in the questionnaire with the relevant responses, in order to share the strengths and weaknesses of the competing suppliers, as important elements of evaluation before the award.

Finally, for suppliers with a low ESG score, within the "green" categories, the Group intends to activate actions aimed at promoting their improvement/awareness (e.g. training initiatives, support for obtaining certain certifications) by 2030.