Section 54 · suppliers · statement
Modern slavery reporting software: a year of evidence, one statement
Modern slavery reporting software gathers supplier risk data through the year and helps produce the annual statement section 54 requires.
The statement itself is short; the work is in the supplier evidence behind it.
The rules are on the modern slavery reporting requirements.
Who reports
Who needs modern slavery reporting software?
An organisation supplying goods or services with total turnover of £36 million or more must publish a statement for each financial year (SI 2015/1833).
Total turnover includes the turnover of subsidiaries, so a group of small companies can cross the threshold together.
The £36m figure is in the regulations, not the Act, so it can change without amending the Act (Modern Slavery Act s.54).
Content
What should the software help the statement cover?
Section 54(5) lists six areas the statement may include: structure and supply chains, policies, due diligence, risk assessment, effectiveness measures and training.
They are permissive, not mandatory, but most readers expect them, so a tool that maps evidence to each area is useful.
The Home Office guidance treats audits as one input among several (Home Office).
Enforcement
What is the risk of getting it wrong?
There is no fine and no criminal offence: the duty is enforceable by the Secretary of State through civil proceedings for an injunction.
For EU groups, CSDDD due diligence is a separate, larger regime that applies from 26 July 2029; see CSDDD software.
For supplier audits see SMETA and Sedex software.
The demonstration
What should you test before buying?
Ask the vendor to build a draft statement from your supplier data.
Software demo · evidence check
Modern slavery demo coverage
Tick a test only when the vendor has demonstrated it with a representative record and shown the evidence or export.
0 of 5 tests demonstrated (0%). This is a checklist result, not a score for the vendor.
Still to test: Calculate group turnover including subsidiaries against the £36m threshold; Map supplier risk evidence to each of the six section 54(5) areas; Track remediation of an identified risk; Record board approval and signature of the statement; Export the statement and evidence for publication.
Frequently asked
Modern slavery reporting software, answered
What is modern slavery reporting software?
Software that gathers supplier risk data and evidence through the year and helps produce the annual slavery and human trafficking statement required by section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act.
Who must publish a modern slavery statement?
A commercial organisation supplying goods or services with total turnover of £36 million or more, including the turnover of its subsidiaries.
What must the statement contain?
Section 54(5) lists six areas the statement may include, such as structure, policies, due diligence and training.
They are permissive, not mandatory.
What happens if a company does not publish one?
There is no fine or criminal offence; the duty is enforceable by the Secretary of State through civil proceedings for an injunction.
Sources
Primary sources
Every figure, date and status on this page traces to the instrument’s owner.
Secondary commentary is never the source for a number.
- LegislationModern Slavery Act 2015, section 54
- LegislationSI 2015/1833, Transparency in Supply Chains Regulations
- Home OfficeTransparency in supply chains: a practical guide
- Home OfficeModern slavery statement registry
- LegislationModern Slavery Act 2015
- SedexSMETA audit
- EUR-LexDirective (EU) 2024/1760 (CSDDD), consolidated
- ETIETI Base Code