For shippers and procurement
Strengthen security across your freight supply chain.
The businesses that move your goods have access to your shipments, your information and your customers. The Advocate programme helps you use Portcullis Certification to set clear, consistent security expectations for your freight suppliers.
A Portcullis Advocate is a shipper or procurement organisation that recognises or encourages Portcullis Certification across relevant freight suppliers.
Why it matters
A freight supplier infiltrated by criminals can expose your goods to theft, your supply chain to contamination with illicit goods and your brand to reputational harm. Traditional due diligence rarely covers how a supplier protects itself from criminal infiltration.
Who it is for
- Manufacturers
- Retailers
- Importers and exporters
- Pharmaceutical companies
- Electronics businesses
- High-value goods organisations
How the Advocate programme works
- 01
Verify suppliers
Check any supplier's certification status, scope and validity on the public register.
- 02
Recognise Portcullis
Treat Portcullis Certification as evidence of defined controls in your supplier assessments.
- 03
Invite suppliers
Encourage your freight suppliers to assess their controls and work towards certification.
- 04
Procurement use
Reference the Portcullis Standard in tenders and supplier questionnaires to reduce repeated due diligence.
- 05Planned
Certification monitoring
Be notified when a supplier's certification status changes.
- 06Planned
Advocate dashboard
View the certification status of your freight suppliers in one place.
What Advocates gain
- A consistent security expectation across freight suppliers
- A reusable security expectation instead of repeatedly asking suppliers to describe the same controls from scratch
- A checkable, independent signal instead of self-declaration
- Visibility of supplier certification status
What being an Advocate involves
There is no charge to become an Advocate. We ask Advocates to recognise Portcullis Certification in their supplier processes and, where appropriate, to encourage suppliers to take part. Any public reference to an Advocate relationship is agreed in writing first.
Enquire
Become a Portcullis Advocate
Tell us about your organisation and your freight supply chain.
There is no commitment at this stage. We'll first discuss your supplier environment and how Portcullis could fit into your procurement process.