The CIPS Code of Conduct and Ethical Procurement: What Every Buyer Signs Up To
Procurement controls money, awards contracts and chooses suppliers, which makes it a profession where ethics is not a module but a condition of membership. CIPS builds it in at every layer: a Code of Conduct every member signs up to, an ethics test required for Chartered status, and ethical procurement modules from Level 3 upward.
The CIPS Code of Conduct
As a member, you commit to five things: enhance and protect the standing of the profession; maintain the highest standard of integrity in all business relationships; promote the eradication of unethical business practices; enhance the proficiency and stature of the profession; and ensure full compliance with laws and regulations. Breaches can lead to action under the disciplinary rules of CIPS's Royal Charter. Guidance covers conflicts of interest, conduct with suppliers, bribery and corruption, and human rights.
The Ethical Procurement and Supply eLearning and test
Updated for 2026, the programme consists of an introduction and three eLearning topics, each followed by an assessment with a 70% pass mark (up to five attempts, roughly 20 minutes each). It is free for CIPS members and £50 plus VAT for non members; passing yields a certificate, a digital badge and a listing on the public Professional Register, valid for 12 months. It is also a requirement for MCIPS Chartered status.
Ethics inside the qualifications
- Level 3, L3M2 Ethical Procurement and Supply (core) and the Socially Responsible Procurement elective
- Level 4, L4M4 Ethical and Responsible Sourcing (core): legal and ethical impact and sustainability across economic, environmental, social and governance factors
- Level 5, L5M5 Managing Ethical Procurement and Supply (core): how ESG considerations shape ethical and sustainable procurement, new to the 2025 syllabus
And in the Global Standard, ethics is not a separate theme: it "runs through everything we do and how we behave."
Ask an advisor which CIPS level fits your role.
