Suppliers

Welcome

To join us as a supplier, you’ll need to agree to our standard purchasing terms. That means making a commitment to accept and support our supplier facing policies – including our code of conduct, security policy, and schedule.

You can find all relevant facing policies here.

Getting set up

As Virgin Media O2, we engage suppliers both as Telefonica UK (trading as O2) and as Virgin Media.

As a supplier for O2

To get the ball rolling, we’ll reach out for a contact name, bank details and written confirmation that you agree to our terms.

As a supplier for Virgin Media

Just fill out our supplier welcome pack, including a contact name and bank details, and return it to us. We’ll handle the rest. Download it here.

Buying overview

• Our Procurement team uses eProcurement tools to provide our suppliers with a simple digital engagement experience.
• We source both directly and through partners. Whichever we use for a given transaction, we always operate open procurement processes where we invite capable suppliers to compete for our business.
• All suppliers must stick to our code of conduct and other policies. You can find them here.
• We buy a broad range of goods and services – from marketing and IT to devices and network equipment. But please don’t reach out to us. Our professional Procurement team will be in touch if we think you’d be a suitable partner.

Virgin Media O2 business will favor suppliers that are able to demonstrate:

• Compliance with our policies, solution requirements and quality and sustainability requirements
• Effective policies and processes to prevent modern slavery throughout your operations and supply chains
• Certifications for quality, security, business continuity, safety and environmental management (i.e. ISO9000, TL9000, CMMI, TMMi, ISO27001, ISO22301, ISO45001 or ISO14001)
• Where relevant, certification in construction design and management regulation, by a Safety Schemes in Procurement approved assessment body – preferably SafeContractor
• Clear quality goals and continuous improvement initiatives
• Defined and planned quality assurance strategies that use quality data to optimise delivery costs both internally and to Virgin Media O2
• Tried and tested business and service continuity planning
• That you support customer audits and improvement requests
• That you hold your suppliers to the same standards
• A passion for customer care, successful delivery and competitive value

Common Virgin Media O2 Supplier Policies

Our supplier policies are designed to:

• Uphold our business values within our supply chains
• Ensure the health and safety of workers in our supply chains
• Ensure the quality of products and services we buy
• Protect the privacy of our customers and ensure data security

Policies that apply to suppliers to all Virgin Media O2 operating business Include:

• Virgin Media O2 Supplier Code of Conduct Policy: Virgin Media O2 is committed to respecting the highest standards of labour, human rights, environmental and ethical conduct, and we expect our Suppliers to share this commitment. To that end, we use the influence of our procurement activity to uphold standards throughout our Supply Chain. These standards are expressed as supplier requirements in this supplier code of conduct. Suppliers and their Sub-contractors must demonstrate to Virgin Media O2 that they maintain policies to protect and promote standards in their operations and supply chains that as a minimum comply with the Virgin Media O2 Supplier Code of Conduct Policy.
• Virgin Media O2 Code of Conduct: As a responsible organisation we are committed to conducting business with integrity and fairness. This Code of Conduct outlines what is expected of us across our business. It sets out the principles and values that guide how we – and those who act on our behalf, like our business partners and suppliers – can maintain the highest ethical and legal standards. This helps us develop trust with those who have a stake in our business: trust from our customers that we will treat them fairly offering innovative products and services that make a positive difference in their lives, and trust among our colleagues that we will treat each other with respect, honesty, and integrity.
• Virgin Media O2 Standard Purchasing terms: Virgin Media O2 uses the below Standard Purchasing Terms for all supplies of goods and/or the provision of services by its suppliers, who must accept them when using our eSourcing Procurement platform. These Purchasing Terms apply to all companies within the Virgin Media O2 brand.
  • Pre 1 April 2023 Virgin Media purchasing terms
  • Pre 1 April 2023 Telefonica UK (O2) purchasing terms
  • On or after 1 April 2023 Virgin Media O2 purchasing terms
• Virgin Media O2 Security Schedule: Information is a major asset in today’s business environment. The management and protection of information is vital to our continued and future success. This includes all types of data, from sensitive customer information and employee information to performance metrics, management evaluations or design information for a new product or service. As a Virgin Media O2 supplier, adherence to the Security Schedule is mandatory.
• Virgin Media O2 Quality and Sustainability Requirements: We operate quality and sustainability requirements that minimise any risks to procured products and services and that carry forward our commitments to customers.
  • Quality and Sustainability Schedule (QSS 0): Applies to products and services not addressed by a contract specific Quality and Sustainability Schedule
  • Quality & Sustainability Schedule (QSS 2): Applies to products and services addressed by a bespoke contract.
• Additional Policies that apply to suppliers to Telefonica UK trading as O2 includes: Telefónica suppliers/partners who handle Telefónica data are required to comply with the Information Retention Policy. This policy document provides guidance to Telefónica suppliers on how long certain types of data need to be securely retained and stored for, whether physical or electronic. The law requires us to keep certain types of corporate records for specified periods of time. Failure to retain records for these periods could result in penalties and fines, cause the loss of rights or seriously disadvantage us in litigation. Records that are no longer required for business or legal purposes should be securely destroyed. The required retention period for specific record types can be found in our Data Retention Schedule.

Telefonica UK Data Retention Schedule

Please note the following exception to any published document retention policy:

If records are (or may be) relevant to litigation or potential litigation, then you must preserve those records until the Telefónica Legal department informs you that they are no longer needed.

Telefonica UK Data Retention Policy

If you have any questions about the policies and schedules included above, please speak to your Procurement contact.

Speak Up

Speak Up is our confidential reporting channel, through which suppliers and their employees can disclose any concerns about noncompliance with our code. If you become aware of or suspect any conduct you believe violates any law, rule, regulation, policy or other provision of our code, you’re required to report it as promptly as possible.

We’ll handle any concerns raised in confidence. We’re committed to investigating all credible claims of compliance violation. We prohibit discrimination or retaliation against anyone who reports suspected violations in good faith.

To report a concern (anonymously if you wish), or if you‘ve any questions, contact us through our

Speak Up Channel

Telecommunications Security Act (TSA)

The TSA is a new law for the telecommunications sector in the UK. The act modifies Section 105 of the Communication Act 2003 and requires telecoms providers to safeguard their networks against cyber threats and prepare for future risks. The act requires that we ensure, where relevant, that our suppliers meet the same security rules.

New suppliers will receive our security schedule as part of their contract, which covers all our security requirements. For existing suppliers this will kick in during contract renewals to minimise any disruption to pre-existing agreements. You’ll find a TSA annex with more details in the security schedule.

As part of the renewal process, triage questions will be created for the suppliers to address. We’re gradually working toward compliance within the government’s timelines – and we’ll support our suppliers in doing the same.

So you know, not all suppliers are subject to every measure.

Should you have any additional questions that have not been addressed in the information provided above, please send us an email at tsa.queries@virginmedia.co.uk

Modern Slavery Act

We have zero tolerance for modern slavery in all its forms – and we expect the same commitment from you. As laid out in our code of conduct, as our supplier you must:

• Prohibit forced labour in your operations and supply chains
• Prohibit employers from holding worker “deposits” or identity documents
• Ensure workers are free to leave their jobs following legally established notice periods
• Conduct risk-based due diligence to safeguard against forced labour, and support our own due diligence requests, including onsite audits and worker voice surveys
• Act to close any instance or risk of forced labour within your operations or supply chain if identified by due diligence
• Operate a whistle-blowing process through which employees and the public, can raise concerns about forced labour
• Provide training in identifying forced labour risks to your supplier-facing employees
• Monitor reports of forced labour from NGOs and other credible sources within your sector and regions of operations
• Investigate all credible allegations and act to prevent risks or instances of forced labour if found
• Provide us with a full disclosure on request of your activities relating to the management and investigation of forced labour risks

Need advice on implementing controls to prevent modern slavery? We’re happy to help. Just reach out to your contact in our Procurement team.