MODERN SLAVERY ACT STATEMENT.
This statement is made by The Foundry Visionmongers Ltd (“Foundry”) pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 for the financial year ending 31 December 2022 (“Financial Year”). It sets out Foundry’s commitment to carrying out our business in a fair and honest manner and our support that modern slavery has no place in or around our business. We confirm that no instance of modern slavery was reported to us for the Financial Year and we did not identify any specific instance of these in our operations.
About Foundry
We operate from our headquarters in London. Our creative software technologies are used to deliver award-winning visual effects and 3D content for the design, visualization and entertainment industries. Our software advances the art and technology of visual experience in partnership with creative leaders across the globe.
We are part of the Roper group of companies and our ultimate group parent is Roper Technologies, Inc., (“Roper”). As such, we are proud to work in accordance with the Roper Business Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct (the “Code”).
Anti-Slavery Statement
Our business is carried out in an ethical manner and we revise and improve our systems regularly in line with our aims and commitments to adhere to ethical best practices and to support a diverse and equitable workforce and environment. Degrading practices such as forced labour, trafficking for exploitation, child labour, discrimination, unsafe working conditions or any other human rights violations, have no place in or around our business, industry, or society at large.
Foundry takes a zero-tolerance approach towards all forms of modern slavery and we are committed to preventing acts of modern slavery from taking place within our business and our supply chain. We look to work with those third party companies who also maintain the same values as us on this front.
This statement sets out the further steps that Foundry has taken towards that goal.
Supply Chain and Supplier Due Diligence
Our standards are reflected in our internal policies where we look to work with third parties who can adhere to or are working towards full adherence to our codes of ethics and conduct, and we will continue to improve these internal procedures and policies throughout the next financial year.
Whilst we will keep the status under annual review, we consider that Foundry’s business is relatively low risk in relation to modern slavery given the nature of our business and the recently reduced footprint of our office operations.
Foundry’s business continues to rely predominantly on its in-house development of proprietary software solutions. In addition, we work with various technical partners and license-in certain technologies which contribute (whether directly or indirectly) to our product solutions.
Where we do license-in technology, the nature of those solutions, and the context of the wider industry, means that the licensors are typically advanced technology businesses, having highly skilled workforces and working to their own codes of conduct and/or ethical business practice relevant to the country of their incorporation. Similar to Foundry, they rely predominantly on their own in-house development activities.
For our business operations, we rely on general business suppliers of items such as travel, cleaning and security services, stationery and catering/refreshments for our London office. We also purchase IT equipment for our workforce. Among operational business services, we continue to identify cleaning and security services as being higher risk based on the nature of the service and associated indirect supply of personnel. For these services, we only use reputable suppliers (either engaged direct or otherwise provided by our office landlord) and each has supplied, and we have reviewed, their respective modern slavery statements as evidence of their commitment towards the same policy goals as set out in this statement.
Training and Increased Awareness
Within Foundry, day to day responsibility for administering our zero-tolerance approach rests with our Corporate Operations functions where key team members from Legal, Finance, IT, People and Facilities are primarily responsible for selecting and approving arrangements with general business suppliers.
Roper’s Code forms part of Foundry’s handbook provided to our new joiners. Thereafter, all Foundry personnel undergo annual business ethics training as part of the Roper’s annual compliance initiatives. As part of that process, they each certify their adherence to the Code and its practices.
Roper operates a group-wide whistleblowing policy for any suspicion of inappropriate, unethical or illegal conduct or behaviour in violation of or inconsistent with the Code. Details are publicly available on Roper’s website and recommunicated to all personnel through the annual training program.
This statement has been approved by the executive team of The Foundry Visionmongers Ltd. It shall be reviewed annually and made available on our website at www.foundry.com
James France
CFO
The Foundry Visionmongers Ltd.
Date: 21 February 2023