Our Modern Slavery Statement

The Aartisian Ltd – Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking Statement

(Financial year ending 31 March 2025)

1. Introduction

The Aartisian is a UK-based handmade marketplace and creative agency dedicated to championing artisan makers and small, independent brands around the world. Our ethos – “Handmade. Heart-led. Human-first.” – means we are committed to treating every person in our value chain with dignity and respect.

Although The Aartisian is not currently legally required to publish a modern slavery statement under section 54 of the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015, we have chosen to do so voluntarily. We recognise that modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking can occur in any country and sector, including those connected to craft and design, and we are committed to playing our part in preventing it.

This statement sets out the steps we are taking to reduce the risk of modern slavery in our own operations and in the supply chains of the makers and partners we work with.

2. Our organisation, structure and supply chains

The Aartisian operates a digital marketplace (theaartisian.online) and related services that connect buyers with artisan and handmade brands. We also provide marketing, storytelling and PR support to makers to help them grow their businesses.

Our main “supply chains” are:

• Independent makers and small businesses who design and produce handmade goods;
• Providers of digital and professional services (e-commerce platforms, hosting, marketing, design, and consultancy);
• Logistics and delivery partners engaged directly by makers or recommended third-party services.

We do not own factories, mass-production facilities or warehouses. However, we recognise that modern slavery risks can exist in the upstream supply chains of our makers (for example in textiles, raw materials, packaging, and logistics), and within service supply chains such as cleaning, catering, or outsourced technology.

3. Our policies and standards

The Aartisian has a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking.

To support this we are developing and implementing:

• A Maker & Supplier Code of Conduct, setting minimum standards on labour rights, working conditions, non-discrimination, and environmental responsibility.
• An Ethical Trade & Human Rights Policy that reflects international standards such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the ILO core conventions.
• A Whistleblowing and Concerns Procedure to enable internal team members, makers and partners to raise concerns in confidence.

We will not knowingly work with any maker, brand or supplier who is involved in modern slavery or who refuses to engage with us in addressing credible concerns.

4. Due diligence and risk assessment

As a growing platform, we are building proportionate due-diligence steps into our onboarding and relationship management processes, including:

• Maker onboarding
  • Requiring all makers to agree to our Maker & Supplier Code of Conduct and platform terms.
  • Asking screening questions about production processes, workforce, and sourcing of key materials.
  • Where appropriate, requesting additional information for higher-risk product categories or geographies.
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• Risk-based approach
  We consider factors such as:
  • Country-level risks (e.g. where there are known issues with forced labour or weak labour protections);
  • Sector risks (e.g. textiles, stone, metals, agriculture);
  • Pricing that appears inconsistent with fair labour and material costs;
  • Use of subcontracted labour or home-working with limited visibility.
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• Responding to concerns
  If we identify or are informed of a credible risk of modern slavery:
  • We will take the concern seriously and, where appropriate, seek more information from the maker or supplier;
  • We may pause or remove listings while we investigate;
  • Where necessary, we will end relationships with makers or suppliers who are unable or unwilling to address serious issues;
  • In situations where someone may be at immediate risk, we will seek guidance from relevant authorities or specialist organisations.
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5. Training and awareness

We recognise that our impact depends on the awareness and choices of our small team and our maker community.

Over the coming year we will:

• Provide basic modern slavery awareness training to all core team members, including how to recognise warning signs, how to handle disclosures, and our internal escalation process;
• Develop simple guidance for makers and partners, explaining what modern slavery is, what we expect of them, and where they can access further resources or support;
• Share curated resources and stories through The Aartisian network to encourage responsible sourcing and fair work practices.

6. Measuring effectiveness

As a growing business, we are starting with a small number of indicators to track our progress, including:

• The percentage of active makers who have agreed to our Maker & Supplier Code of Conduct;
• The number of modern slavery-related concerns raised and how they were resolved;
• Completion rates of modern slavery awareness training for our internal team.

Over time, and as our operations scale, we will review and refine these measures, and consider more detailed targets and reporting.

7. Future plans

During the next financial year, we intend to:

• Finalise and roll out our Maker & Supplier Code of Conduct and Ethical Trade & Human Rights Policy;
• Embed modern slavery risk considerations into our vendor onboarding workflows and periodic reviews;
• Explore partnerships with specialist organisations and networks that support ethical, transparent artisan supply chains;
• Review this statement annually and update it to reflect our progress and learning.

8. Approval

This statement has been approved by the Board / Founder of The Aartisian Ltd and will be reviewed annually.

05th November 2025