ADVICE & INFORMATION
BUSINESS PARTNERING OPPORTUNITIES
To help companies find partners, the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) is able to offer access to thousands of partnering opportunities from across Europe. A small selection of the current opportunities available is shown below. If you want to find out more about any of these profiles or would like to submit your own partner profile, email
info@enterpriseeuropesw.org.uk or call 01275 370 997.Other profiles can be searched for on
www.enterpriseeuropesw.org.uk
• A French SME is looking for a partner capable of etching titanium using an electrochemical process. Technical cooperation will be considered for joint further development. Ref: 11 FR 33j7 3L6F
• A Russian SME from Saint- Petersburg is looking for partners among R&D institutes and technological companies to develop a technology and equipment for high-efficiency treatment of industrial wastewater, under a technical cooperation or a manufacturing agreement. Ref: 11 RU 86FG 3LY1
• A Romanian company specialised in developing and implementing projects in the field of sustainable energy production is looking for partners interested in investing in such projects in Romania. The company has already implemented several projects in the field and has acquired experience in developing green- field projects, and is now looking for joint venture partners. Ref. 20110704040
• A Serbian company that produces fruit and vegetable juices is looking for partners for intermediary activities (such as distributors and agents), as well as companies to offer support in transport and logistic services. It is also interested in reciprocal production with prospective partners. Ref. 20110704037
• A Swedish company that has developed and is producing an innovative and discreet fire escape ladder that cannot be used by burglars is looking for agents and distributors in the UK, the Netherlands, the Baltic countries, Poland, France and Denmark. Ref. 20110704035
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Penalties for orcporate bribery start with an unlimited fine
Bribery Act puts business owners in the firing line
L
ocal businesses could risk unlimited fines or even jail if they don’t take action over the new Bribery Act, a South West expert
is warning. Debbie Taylor, director of Bath-based Target HR Consultancy, says the new Act, which came into force in July, means that directors are responsible for any acts of bribery taking place in their company.
“Laws against bribery have been in force since the 1800s, but from 1 July it became a corporate offence, making company directors more responsible for the actions of their staff,” explained Debbie.
‘Company directors can be individually prosecuted and jailed’
“Ignorance is no defence. A company can be found guilty of passing or receiving a bribe even if the directors were not directly involved or had no prior knowledge that the act was taking place.” Debbie warned that the penalties for corporate
bribery can be severe, so it is important for directors to take action. “If found guilty, penalties start with an unlimited fine and companies can also be barred from bidding for public contracts and disqualified from other supplier lists,” she said. “On top of this, company directors can be individually prosecuted and jailed for up to ten years.”
Debbie advised businesses to familiarise themselves with the new regulations and ensure they are compliant. This should involve a thorough risk assessment to establish appropriate anti- bribery policies, as well as ongoing implementation, training and monitoring.
She also said that a business has a defence if it has adequate procedures in place to prevent bribery. “Common sense rules what is a bribe and what
isn’t,” she added. “As long as companies have the right safeguards and procedures in place and seek the advice of trained HR professionals, they should be fully compliant with the new Act, as well as reducing the potential for bribery within their organisation significantly.”
A new portal for business in South West
Suppliers wishing to to engage with Bath and North East Somerset Council, as well as other South West Authorities, now need to register on the South West Council’s Contract Register & Opportunities Portal.
The service, which is accessed via the website
www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk, is free, and once registered, businesses will be sent an email alert based on their specified areas of interest, whenever relevant contracts are advertised. The portal should be used for all procurement opportunities over £500 but is mandatory for all contracts with a value in excess of £50,000. It is also designed to be the Council’s central register of all let contracts and provides a listing of all potential contract opportunities.
Business West Update SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011
For more information about the portal, contact Hannah Brown, senior procurement consultant, on 01225 395052 or email:
hannah_brown@bathnes.gov.uk
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