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Sage investor relations | Governance | Public affairs

Public affairs 

As a champion of the small and medium-sized businesses we serve, our mission is to knock down barriers that hinder access to opportunity. Our public affairs programme supports this by:

  • Working with governments and stakeholders to create the right conditions for technology innovation and application to deliver growth and prosperity. We want everyone to benefit from the opportunities created by digitalisation, and and we are determined to play a positive role in addressing inequalities.   
  • Anticipating our customers' needs to ensure their voice is heard in public policy debates.  Just as our technology empowers our customers, our campaigns will do the same. We are putting our technology, time and experience to work. 

Governance

Responsibility for the co-ordination and oversight of political engagement rests with the Sage Director of Public Affairs, reporting to Sage EVP of Corporate Affairs and Sage Group's CMO on our Executive Committee.  The public affairs team sits within the marketing function. Implementation is supported by regional managing directors in key markets and their regional communications leaders.   

The Sage Board has collective responsibility and oversight of Sage's communications activities. The Sage Board will review and approve any public position the company intends to take with regard to strategically important matters.

Our conduct, and the conduct of any part of our business with government, abides by the following principles:

  • We are open and transparent about our relationship with government
  • Our advice to our customers on government initiatives is informative and politically neutral
  • We put our customers' interests first when we prioritise government relations activities
  • All Sage colleagues take part in ethics and anti-corruption training
  • Sage does not make any contributions to or accept any gifts or hospitality from government, public sector officials or representatives, political parties, campaigns, organisations or individuals involved in politics1  
  • We will only make charitable donations that are legal and ethical under local laws and practices. All charitable donations must go through the Sage Foundation

Sage publishes a code of conduct which brings together our ethical business practice policies and guides our colleagues where to find them. All Sage colleagues receive training in Sage's Code of Conduct and associated policies, completion of which is reported to the Audit and Risk Committee monitor.

Sage Public Affairs submissions

Our most recent submissions and reports are included below.

Trade and Brexit

Digital innovation & Data

SME growth, digital adoption and skills

Taxation and reporting policy

Reports

Public affairs agencies

Sage’s global Public Affairs agencies include Kreab (Spain).

Trade associations

Sage is a member of a number of leading business trade associations globally. Membership trade body working groups must be approved by a member of the Executive Committee.

The  government relations team manages public policy engagement with the following:

Political and lobbying expenditure

Sage does not engage in party political campaigning or make party political donations.

Sage complies with applicable laws and requirements in relation to the disclosure and publication of lobbying expenditure. Further information can be found on the EU register.

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[1] Sage's Gifts and Hospitalities policy states: Sage does not make any contributions to or accept any gifts or hospitality from Government, public sector officials or representatives, political parties or campaigns or organisations or individuals involved in politics. We will only make charitable donations that are legal and ethical under local laws and practices. All charitable donations must go through the Sage Foundation.

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