Sustainable procurement at Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Top 10 tips for a winning bid

Tokyo is set to host the Games of the XXXII Olympiad from 25 July – 9 August 2020, and the Paralympic Games from 25 August – 6 September 2020. With procurement well underway, we have summarised our top ten tips for how your business can make a winning bid for procurement opportunities, across industries such as construction, agriculture and security services.

1. Ensure that your products, services and supply chains comply with the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (TOCOG) Fundamental Principles for the Sustainable Sourcing Code (Sourcing Code).¹ The Sourcing Code calls for suppliers and licensees to reduce, reuse, recycle, lease or rent where possible in order to minimise the environmental impact of procurement.

2. Ensure that your supply complies with basic requirements in relation to human rights, labour management practices, working conditions, fair business practices as well as environmental conservation. The Sourcing Code provides guidelines in relation to:

1. how products and services are supplied (e.g. no discrimination, no harassments, no forced labour, no child labour, no bribery, no dumping, etc.);
2. the origins of products and services and the resources they are made of (e.g. eco-friendly fishery, no conflict minerals, no illegal logging, less packaging, etc.);
3. compliance to the Sourcing Code throughout the supply chains; and
4. effective use of resources..

3. Strive to attain Japanese values and aesthetics to celebrate the unique features of Japan, such as world-class urban infrastructure and safety. TOCOG’s High Level Sustainability Plan (Sustainability Plan)² reminds bidders that their offers should emphasise Japanese beauty or traditional values such as:

• (the spirit of selfless hospitality);
• mottainai (sense of avoiding waste);
• wa wo motte toutoshi to nasu (harmony is the ultimate view); and
• edomae (traditional Tokyo style).