Fair payment

We uphold ‘Fair Payment’ commitments within our framework contracts and believe that:

• Companies have the right to receive correct and full payment when they are due.
• Deliberate late payment or unjustifiable withholding of payment is neither ethical nor acceptable.
• ‘Fair Payment’ applies equally between the client, lead contractor and throughout the whole supply chain.
• The process should be transparent to secure confidence in the amount and timing of payments within the supply chain.
• All contracts should operate on an ‘open book’ basis, where applicable, under the framework.
• The correct payment will represent the work properly carried out, or products and services supplied, in accordance with the contract. Any client arrangements for retention will be replicated on the same contract terms throughout the supply chain. Any withholding of payment due to defects or non-delivery, will be proportionate and demonstrably justified, in line with arrangements made at the time of contract.
• To ensure effective and equitable cash flow for all those involved, all contracts will provide for regular payments and have payment periods not exceeding 30 days.

SCAPE measures payment performance between all parties and throughout the supply chain, and we seek to continuously improve the payment process.

We do not permit any projects to be delivered where Early Payment Schemes are involved.

Any scheme that requires supply chain members to pay a financing fee to receive funds, is unfair and unjustifiable.