AN accreditation has been launched to promote and endorse equality practices in business, which can help firms tap into £3.5bn of North-East public sector contracts.

The Equality Standard is being pioneered in the North- East, with a view to being adopted nationally, to provide companies with practical assistance to implement equal practices.

The accreditation can also help businesses in public sector procurement, where equal opportunities is one of the criteria on which firms tendering bids are judged.

The Equality Standard has been developed by the private, public and voluntary and community sector, led by Equality North-East and regional development agency One North East.

Leslie Calder, head of European and Skills Strategy at One North East, said the standard can be of massive importance to a business.

He said: “Public bodies spend a phenomenal amount of money each year – in the North-East alone, some £3.5bn.

“This represents a huge market for many businesses and voluntary organisations to tap into.

“It also represents a huge opportunity for us to influence behaviour to promote equality and diversity through the procurement process.

“We require bidders to provide evidence of their equality policies, but don’t have the time or expertise to properly take these into account when assessing tenders.

“What we need is a simple, clear way to assess whether the organisations bidding for our investment really are committed to equality and diversity.

“That is where I think the work that Equality North- East and others have been doing has so much to offer, in helping us all to use procurement to promote equality and diversity in a simple but effective way.”

The first recipients of the standard have been revealed as law firm Muckle, Opus Building Services and the North-East Autism Society’s Thornbeck College.

Liz Reay, chief executive of Equality North-East, said: “Having the standard is proof that an employer not only has commitment to equality and diversity through excellent policies, but also through its actions.

“It shows them to be an employer of choice and will help them when tendering for those valuable public sector contracts.”

A roll of honour for employers working towards the standard has also been announced, which includes JB Skill Care, AOH Ltd, Finance Tree, BL Training, Foster Care Solutions, Norcare, Brenikov Training and Pioneering Care Partnership.