FACIM promotes Made in France public procurement

It's one of the oldest federations in France, and the only one to represent the entire textile-clothing sector, from threads to garment making! The FACIM (Fédération nationale des fabricants de fournitures administratives civiles et militaires) brings together some 50 small and medium-sized industrial firms that respond to public orders. To their principals (ministries of the armed forces or interior, fire departments, local authorities and EPICs (SNCF, RATP, Air France...), they supply personal protective equipment, uniforms and other administrative outfits.

"To promote the industry and defend the interests of its members, FACIM acts along three lines,explains Stéphane Peron, his general delegate. It is a neutral interlocutor, facilitator and technical consultant to principals and federations. It creates and/or participates in working groups within the framework of government-industry partnerships, on current issues (such as the rising cost of energy and raw materials) or substantive topics (CSR, R&D, etc.). Finally, in terms of innovation, we exchange information with our customers on their feedback and future needs. This watch enables its members to respond in the best possible way".

Among the levers it deploys, are interventions with prime contractors, putting members in touch with each other, promoting alliances or labels (the RFAR label used by the French armed forces, for example), monitoring public procurement markets with weekly alerts on calls for tender, and organizing joint stands at trade fairs, with the support of DEFI. FACIM also organizes an annual "Facim day", enabling its members to exchange views with as many principals as possible, on a variety of themes.

Guide for public buyers

The FACIM was thus legitimate to pilot the drafting, mid-2022, of a guide for public buyers, primarily acting at a territorial level, financed by DEFI and CTC (leather technical center). "Any small business can respond to a local call for tenders" stresses Stéphane Peron. The initiative comes just in time after the publication, in early 2021, of the report "Relocation and Sustainable Fashion" by the Comité Stratégique de Filière (CSF) Mode et Luxe, underlining the importance of public procurement as a lever for competitiveness and a tool for relocation.

There is no question, of course, of encouraging buyers to select a product solely on the criterion of its French origin, which is forbidden by European regulations. Instead, the guide makes 14 easy-to-implement recommendations to contribute to "therelocalization effort, preserve the sovereignty of our production tool" and "control our carbon footprint", Stéphane Peron emphasizes.

The book has already had a positive impact. In addition to sustained interest from major contractors (although not its primary target), it has sparked a fruitful exchange with the French Ministry of Ecological Transition. A point to be clarified in a decree concerning recycling led to the guide being modified. But also to a reflection on a potential evolution of the decree, following proposals from FACIM.

Another interesting feedback: after its presentation at the firefighters' congress in Nancy, a buyer, having found the guide "clear and concise", drew inspiration from it to build CSR clauses for a call for tenders for a group of SDIS (departmental fire and rescue services). "We'll be working together to improve the system and share these good practices more widely" says Stéphane Peron. Beyond these examples, the guide has enabled FACIM to broaden and deepen exchanges on other aspects of public procurement, in a spirit of "industrial-buyer partnership", via new working groups in particular.

Generally speaking, even if their costs handicap them, French manufacturers have a "real added valueto win public tenders. That is, "technical excellence, innovation and technology" lists Stéphane Peron. All this coupled with extensive regulation that results in an "excellent carbon footprint (helped by the use of nuclear power) and social".

Challenges

So many assets that need to be successfully leveraged, which is what FACIM helps to do.

Stéphane Peron also stresses the importance of political will to get things moving. It's already there in France, he believes, "as evidenced by recent regulatory developments". But France can do nothing without Europe. And the general delegate dreams of a European Small Business Act, following the American example, imposing a certain Made in Europe content on public procurement contracts.

In the meantime, Stéphane Peron is tackling a number of projects to make public procurement more "blue-white-red": "raising awareness among territorial buyers, who are at disparate levels and too few in number to master everything. On the ribbed side, we need to give manufacturers enough visibility to sign long-term contracts, enabling them to invest and recruit upstream. We also need to address the issue of automation, to bring down garment making costs and make us more competitive. Finally, we absolutely must preserve our Savoir-faire to maintain our skills ".

A long-term task and so many challenges that FACIM is ready to take up with its members!

Feel free to consult the Public procurement portal on our website.