The RCP Toolkit
The Responsible Contracting Project (RCP) Toolkit contains practical and versatile tools that companies can use to improve the human rights and environmental performance of their contracts and, by extension, their supply chains. It includes modular model contract clauses, a code of conduct, implementation guidance, and policy analysis.
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Model Contract Clauses
Sector-agnostic and sector-specific model contract clauses that can be readily selected, edited, adapted, and integrated into supply contracts.
The SMCs 1.0
The Supplier Model Contract Clauses
2023
The TMCs
The Tea Sector Model Clauses
2024
The RIMCs
The Responsible Investor Model Clauses
Winter 2025
Explainers and Implementation Guidance
Guidance on the how, what, and why of Responsible Contracting adapted for different stakeholders and supply chains.
Investor Guidance on Responsible Contracting
Chapter on Responsible Contracting for the United Nations Global Compact's Decent Work Toolkit for Sustainable Procurement
SMCs Framing Memo: How responsible contracting supports more effective HREDD and legal compliance
Guidance for buyers, intermediaries, and producers in using the Tea Model Clauses effectively.
The RCP Explainer video is an introduction to how companies can use contracts to support better outcomes for human rights and the environment
Policy Briefs
RCP's analyses of legislative developments and relevant requirements with respect to commercial contracts.
What the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive Says About Contracts
Forced Labor Trade Bans and Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD): Why Responsible Contracting Matters
Codes of Conduct & Responsible Purchasing Practices
Templates and guidance for developing codes of conduct that adopt a shared-responsibility approach for buyers and suppliers. These tools have been developed by RCP's partners and other like-minded organizations.
The American Bar Association Working Group Responsible Purchasing Code of Conduct: The Buyer Code
2021
How to Use the Tools:
Step 1:
The SMCs are designed to be used in conjunction with a “master agreement” or “framework agreement” under which individual purchase orders are issued. The master or framework agreement is assumed to include all commercial terms, including remedies, while the SMCs are devoted to human rights due diligence (HRDD)-related obligations and remedies.
Step 2:
Rather than copying and pasting the SMCs into the contract, users should (1) select the SMCs they want to include in the contract and (2) edit and adapt them to suit their needs and specific circumstances.
Step 3:
The Codes of Conduct (CoCs) – the supplier code and the buyer code – can be added as schedules or appendices to the master agreement. When added to the master agreement, the CoCs become binding on the parties.
Step 4:
While users can choose which SMCs to include in their contracts, RCP strongly recommends including SMC 1 on Shared Responsibility to Carry Out Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence as that clause centers HRDD and ties in with many of the other SMCs. SMC 2 sets the HRDD stage and weaves a common HRDD thread across the clauses.
Step 5:
Please refer to the Framing Memo for further instructions on how to incorporate the SCMs into contracts.
Step 6:
RCP will also be providing some drafting guidance to guide users on how to select clauses, as well as on how to make decisions concerning the various wording options offered in the SMCs using square brackets ([…]/[…]).
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