Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) is a national Life Sciences service dedicated to turning drug discovery into commercial breakthroughs.
MDC works at the frontier of drug discovery, helping entrepreneurs make game-changing breakthroughs to solve challenging unmet patient needs. It helps increase the impact of the Life Sciences sector and improves the health of our society and economy.
MDC recognises that it has a responsibility to take a robust approach to slavery and human trafficking. MDC is committed to preventing slavery and human trafficking in its corporate activities, and to ensure that its supply chains are free from slavery and human trafficking.
Modern slavery is a crime and a violation of fundamental human rights. It takes various forms, such as slavery, servitude, forced and compulsory labour and human trafficking, all of which have in common the deprivation of a person’s liberty by another to exploit them for personal or commercial gain.
MDC has a zero-tolerance towards modern slavery and is committed to acting ethically and with integrity in all its business dealings and relationships. MDC will implement procedures to reduce the risk of modern slavery occurring anywhere in its business or supply chain.
MDC will ensure there is transparency in the business and in its approach to tackling modern slavery.
MDC expects the same high standards from all its agents, contractors, suppliers, consultants, third- party representatives and other business partners.
Organisational Structure:
The MDC main site office is based at Alderley Park in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England and employs over 140 people. MDC employs a variety of roles including scientists, commercial, finance, corporate, operational, governance, management, administrative and other research professionals. The organisation has a permanent presence within the United Kingdom. Whilst it does not have any permanent presence within other countries, it does carry out overseas recruitment activity.
Supply Chains:
Our procurement activities take place within the United Kingdom and our contractors and suppliers are predominately UK, EU and US-based. We expect our supply chain to fully comply with the Modern Slavery Act 2015 as applicable and be transparent, accountable and auditable.
Our Policies and Processes:
MDC have implemented and maintain a Modern Slavery Policy which is accessible by all employees, as well as having suitable Anti-Bribery & Corruption and Whistleblowing Policies to ensure our business acts ethically.
The organisation’s procurement policies take reasonably practicable steps to ensure that all suppliers confirm their compliance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Those who declare that they do not comply will be excluded or disqualified from the procurement process. In addition, the MDC standard supplies/services terms require a supplier to comply with the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Further steps:
MDC intends to action the following to enhance its practices:
- Provide information to MDC employees to ensure a suitable level of awareness of the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking in our business and supply
- Review how modern slavery is incorporated in our contract processing and management
- Incorporate specific provisions into the MDC standard supplies/service terms which require a supplier, and any other entities in its supply chains, to comply with all applicable anti-slavery and human trafficking laws, regulations and codes, and to not engage in any activity, practice or conduct which would constitute an offence under the Modern Slavery Act
Medicines Discovery Catapult
Date: 6th November 2024