At the Bank, we are committed to driving meaningful progress in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). We believe our influence extends beyond our internal operations, and into our supply base. Alongside deploying patient capital to support long‑term change, we continue to embed EDI principles across every aspect of how we work with suppliers.
Our procurement processes
This year, we have continued partnering with suppliers to deliver key contracts in areas where we lack in‑house capacity, including professional services, IT infrastructure, cleaning, software, and research data. Our procurement processes support fair, transparent contract awards, and we are proud to work with a diverse mix of suppliers of all sizes and structures.
We have further integrated EDI into the core of our procurement approach, ensuring that all suppliers bidding for or securing contracts can clearly demonstrate their commitment to EDI both within their organisations and in how they deliver services for us. This year we have:
- Continued working with suppliers to champion Fair Work First principles and ensure payment of the Living Wage.
- Embedded our commitment to being a Disability Confident Employer by providing information on the scheme and asking suppliers whether they are, or intend to become, Disability Confident Employers.
When it was relevant and proportionate, included scored questions on gender diversity and promoted community benefit commitments, with an emphasis on supporting female participation.
HL is committed to fostering a workplace that celebrates diversity, promotes equity, and supports inclusion. Their key actions include:
- Establishing an EDI policy that provides a clear framework for fair decision‑making, equal opportunities, respect for all, and a zero‑tolerance stance on discrimination and harassment.
- Investing in ongoing training and development to equip employees with the skills and support needed to reach their full potential.
- Introducing pronoun recognition across communication channels to encourage self‑expression and inclusion.
- Addressing specific workplace challenges, such as menopause, through awareness programmes that build understanding and create a supportive environment.
- Offering flexible and agile working arrangements, including flexi‑time and paid overtime (including travel time), to help employees balance work and personal commitments.
- Achieving 40% or more female Partners—one of only nine firms in the UK’s top 100 accountancy firms to do so—demonstrating meaningful progress toward gender‑balanced leadership.
- Appointing a female Chair, reinforcing their commitment to diverse leadership and ensuring varied perspectives are represented at senior levels.
- Voluntarily reporting on their gender pay gap to demonstrate transparency and their dedication to fair and equitable compensation.
CubeLynx’s mission is to create employment opportunities for neurodiverse individuals, particularly autistic people. As a Disability Confident employer, they actively promote disability inclusion across industries. Examples of their recent work can be found here. Their approach helps break down barriers and foster inclusive workplaces.
As part of their engagement with us this year, CubeLynx delivered Neurodiversity training for the Bank as a Community Benefit. The session received excellent feedback, with colleagues finding the lived‑experience examples especially valuable.
Next steps
We remain committed to EDI and to working with partners who share these values. We are always keen to learn—please share how your organisation supports a diverse workforce so we can continue improving together.
