Unite’s Roberts: Fair tax is an important pillar of procurement

For Fair Tax Week 2026 we sat down with Fair Tax Mark business Unite to discuss how fair tax fits into social value and how it can be a reassuring marker of good governance.

Unite became the first German multinational to gain the Fair Tax Mark in 2022. Based in Leipzig and active in 15 European countries, they connect buyers and suppliers through a B2B platform and digital solutions that enable sourcing, transacting and collaborating.

Fair Tax Foundation: Welcome to Fair Tax Week. I’m Natasha Turner from the Fair Tax Foundation. I’m delighted to be joined by Simon Roberts, Senior Vice President of Sales at Unite. Unite is a Fair Tax Mark accredited business and has a report coming out looking at its alignment with the Procurement Act 2023. Thank you for joining us, Simon.

Simon Roberts: Thank you, Natasha. Good to be here.

Unite’s latest report on value in public procurement looks at areas beyond cost that are outlined in the Procurement Act. Where do you think fair tax fits into this broader understanding of value?

Fair tax is not a nice-to-have; it’s a pillar. It supports our corporate social responsibility and fits into the governance and transparency values we hold dear as a business.

In the public sector, it is an important pillar of procurement. We operate a marketplace platform with thousands of suppliers, procuring on behalf of public sector customers. That means taxpayers need value for money. Value isn’t driven only by price. It’s also driven by transparency across the supply chain and confidence that suppliers are paying their fair share of tax in proportion to the size and timing of their business.

The report demonstrates that fair tax is an important pillar supporting public sector customers and organisations. It reflects Unite’s commitment to transparency, which aligns closely with the Procurement Act. It’s about more than price; it’s about selecting suppliers with strong governance processes and policies.

Since the Act came into force, we’ve seen greater scope to look beyond cost and price. How are you seeing that shift towards social value play out?

The major change is that supplier selection used to focus on the Most Economically Advantageous Tender. The economic element was largely driven by price. Now we have the Most Advantageous Tender, where the emphasis is much broader.

Social value extends beyond supply diversity or support for SMEs. It includes corporate governance and transparency. That represents a significant step forward. It creates criteria and requirements that go beyond pricing and establishes a stronger framework for compliance and governance.

The Fair Tax Mark is not yet, but it hopefully will be, a significant external accreditation that just gives the public sector and the public sector buyers reassurance that there are organisations willing to be transparent. That’s important because tax compliance has a direct impact on investment and development across society.

Fair tax should increasingly become part of supplier selection, reflecting the importance of paying the right amount of tax, at the right time, in the right way. It belongs firmly within the pillars of governance and transparency.

As well as helping organisations differentiate themselves, what are the drivers behind Unite’s commitment to responsible tax conduct and achieving the Fair Tax Mark?

It comes back to Unite’s values. As a platform provider, we operate in a neutral environment between buyers and suppliers, and that neutrality is built on trust. Trust is fundamental to transparency and governance.

One of the things highlighted in the report is that when an organisation is prepared to open its accounts to external scrutiny and allow an organisation such as the Fair Tax Foundation to audit and provide recommendations, it demonstrates confidence in its values and transparency.

Our partnership with the Fair Tax Foundation is driven by company values. Transparency and good governance run throughout the business, not just within one part of the organisation.

What advice would you give to other businesses considering the Fair Tax Mark?

It’s a commitment. It shouldn’t be viewed simply as another accreditation that delivers commercial benefits. For organisations that are serious about it, the Fair Tax Mark is a sign of maturity, responsibility and values-led leadership.

My advice would be to get your tax strategy in order. If you already have one, scrutinise it carefully. If you don’t, begin the process of creating one.

We’ve had a great relationship with the Fair Tax Foundation throughout the process. It’s much less daunting than people might expect.

The process is straightforward and well supported. You quickly discover there’s a community of organisations across the public and private sectors that are on the same journey. It doesn’t feel like a lonely place.

It’s also important to communicate and promote what you’ve achieved because it genuinely is a badge of honour. At Unite, we wear that badge with pride and actively promote it with suppliers and customers because it makes a difference.

We’ve received a great deal of positive feedback, and there are commercial benefits too. It helps differentiate the organisation, particularly in the public sector, and demonstrates a level of organisational maturity that is valuable for any business.

Well, that’s wonderfully put. Thank you very much. And just to add that our accreditation team are certainly some of the least scary people out there and would definitely help any business with their tax strategy. So where do you see the conversation around procurement and fair tax going from here? What’s your ideal outcome?

The legislation provides the framework for stronger governance and greater supply chain transparency. That’s important because organisations need to understand and manage risks around value for money, modern slavery and supply chain issues.

Adding tax transparency to those checks and balances is a natural extension. I would like to see greater rigour and due diligence around tax transparency on the supply side.

The Fair Tax Mark is well placed to support that development. It provides reassurance for the public purse. We know how much revenue is lost through non-compliant tax arrangements, and that lost revenue represents missed investment in communities, infrastructure and support for vulnerable people.

I would like to see this level of governance become more embedded rather than simply encouraged. There is already momentum behind greater transparency. We’ve seen it in supply chain policies, compliance requirements and social value.

Bringing SMEs into that conversation is another important step. Fair Tax Mark accreditation aligns closely with the wider objectives of the legislation.

I’m optimistic. The more work we do in this area, and the more public sector procurement professionals understand its importance, the more momentum we’ll build.

Finally, how are you celebrating Fair Tax Week this year?

We’ll be active on social media and will no doubt bring out our annual Fair Tax Mark logo for photographs across the business. We’ll also be attending a number of events with the Fair Tax Foundation to help spread the message and share how Unite has benefited.

We also have the new report, which has been timed to coincide with Fair Tax Week and supports our wider work around social value and governance.

Thanks so much for joining us today, Simon.

Thank you very much.