Transport for London excludes firm from tender over change to diversity commitments
Transport for London (TfL) has blocked an advertising consultancy from bidding for a marketing contract after the firm rowed back on its Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) goals.
Accenture issued an internal memo in February which said the firm would begin "sunsetting" the global employee representation goals it set in 2017 and updated in 2020, which it claimed it had "largely achieved".
The memo sent by the global consultancy's CEO, Julie Sweet, also detailed plans to scrap career development programmes for "people of specific demographic groups". It will also pause submissions to external diversity benchmarking surveys while it evaluates its participation.
Sweet said the updates on inclusion and diversity were "a result of our continued evaluation of our internal policies and practices and the evolving landscape in the United States, including recent Executive Orders with which we must comply".
Accenture Song, which is Accenture's marketing and creative division, recently bid on an advertising contract with TfL.
However, TfL has since informed the firm that it cannot proceed with its bid due to recent changes in Accenture's diversity policies, which no longer meet the transport organisation's diversity requirements.
Commenting on its decision, a spokesperson for TfL said: "We are proud to hold our suppliers to account, making sure they are aligned with our commitments on diversity and inclusivity to help expand opportunities across our supply chain and create equal opportunities for all.
"Unfortunately, due to changes in Accenture Song/Droga 5's priorities in recent months, we were unable to continue with their bid for our creative tender contract as they no longer met the criteria for diversity that we expect from all suppliers."
TfL has not stated which aspect of diversity criteria that Accenture failed to meet.
Droga 5 is a subsidiary of Accenture Song.
Accenture said it cannot comment on TfL's decision "due to the strict confidentiality around the bidding process”
Adam Carey