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Diversity and inclusion (D&I) work, sometimes called equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), covers everything from a single workshop to a multi-year change programme. The market reflects that range: some providers specialise in one area, such as disability or social mobility, while others offer strategy, training and recruitment support together. This guide is for HR, People, Learning and Development (L&D) and procurement teams deciding who to work with. It explains the main types of provider, the legal points that shape the work, what the evidence says about training, and how to compare providers fairly.
What D&I providers do
Most D&I providers work across one or more of five areas. Knowing which one you actually need narrows the field quickly, and makes proposals easier to compare.
The main types of D&I provider
| Type | Typically used for | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Training and workshops | Building awareness and skills, for example inclusive leadership, allyship or inclusive recruitment | What changes in behaviour they expect, how they measure it, and what follows the session |
| Strategy, audits and benchmarking | Understanding where you are now, setting priorities and tracking progress | Which data they use, how they protect it, and whether the output is a plan you can act on |
| Mentoring and sponsorship programmes | Developing and progressing people from under-represented groups | How participants and mentors are matched and supported, and how progression is tracked |
| Diverse recruitment and talent | Widening the candidate pool and making selection fairer | That their approach stays within positive action and never becomes positive discrimination |
| Membership and networks | Benchmarking against peers, shared resources and a community of practice | What members actually receive, and whether any accreditation or award is independently assessed |
Type
Training and workshops
Typically used for
Building awareness and skills, for example inclusive leadership, allyship or inclusive recruitment
What to check
What changes in behaviour they expect, how they measure it, and what follows the session
Type
Strategy, audits and benchmarking
Typically used for
Understanding where you are now, setting priorities and tracking progress
What to check
Which data they use, how they protect it, and whether the output is a plan you can act on
Type
Mentoring and sponsorship programmes
Typically used for
Developing and progressing people from under-represented groups
What to check
How participants and mentors are matched and supported, and how progression is tracked
Type
Diverse recruitment and talent
Typically used for
Widening the candidate pool and making selection fairer
What to check
That their approach stays within positive action and never becomes positive discrimination
Type
Membership and networks
Typically used for
Benchmarking against peers, shared resources and a community of practice
What to check
What members actually receive, and whether any accreditation or award is independently assessed
Providers also differ by strand: gender, race and ethnicity, LGBTQ+ inclusion, disability and neurodiversity, social mobility, age and menopause, and faith and belief. A provider with real depth in the strand that matters most to you is often more useful than one offering a little of everything.
Start with the problem, not the product
The most common reason D&I work disappoints is that it starts with a product, often a training session, rather than a problem. Before approaching providers, it helps to be clear on what your own information shows. That might include representation at different levels, pay gap data, promotion and exit patterns, inclusion or engagement survey results, and themes from grievances. You do not need all of it, but a provider can only help you measure progress if there is a starting point to measure from.
Practical tip
The legal baseline buyers should know
A D&I provider is not a substitute for legal advice, but you should be confident that anything they recommend sits comfortably within the law. These are the points that come up most often.
- Protected characteristics. The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to discriminate because of nine protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
- Positive action, not positive discrimination. The Act allows proportionate action to help a group that shares a protected characteristic overcome disadvantage, have its needs met or take part more. It also allows an employer to choose between two candidates of equal merit on the basis of an under-represented characteristic. Positive discrimination, favouring someone simply because of a protected characteristic, is unlawful in Great Britain.
- Preventing sexual harassment. Since 26 October 2024, employers must take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their workers, including by third parties. Where a tribunal upholds a sexual harassment claim and the duty was not met, compensation can be increased by up to 25%.
- Pay gap reporting. Employers with 250 or more employees must publish gender pay gap data each year. Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, these employers are encouraged to publish an action plan now, covering at least two actions including support for employees experiencing menopause. Action plans are due to become mandatory from spring 2027, subject to secondary legislation.
- Reasonable adjustments. Employers must make reasonable adjustments so that disabled workers are not substantially disadvantaged, and this applies during recruitment too.
Procurement tip
What the evidence says about training
Training is the most visible part of the D&I market, and it is where the evidence deserves the most attention. In December 2020, a review by the Behavioural Insights Team for the Government Equalities Office found no evidence that unconscious bias training changes behaviour in the long term or improves workplace equality in terms of representation. It also noted emerging evidence of unintended negative effects.
That finding is specific to one type of training, and it does not mean all D&I learning is wasted. In our view, the practical lesson for buyers is to judge training by what happens after it: whether it is tied to specific behaviours, supported by managers, reinforced over time and measured beyond a feedback form. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) makes a related point in its evidence review, noting that inclusion is different from diversity and needs to be measured separately, including through employee perceptions of inclusion.
How to evaluate a provider
Once you know what you need, these are the checks that most often separate strong providers from weaker ones.
Checklist: Signs of a strong provider
Lived experience and professional expertise are both valuable, and the strongest teams usually combine them. Be wary of treating either one as enough on its own: lived experience does not guarantee facilitation skill, and credentials do not guarantee understanding of what your people face.
Handling diversity data
Audits, benchmarking and inclusion surveys often involve personal data about ethnicity, health, religion or sexual orientation. Under UK data protection law these are special category data, which carry extra protection. Before sharing anything, agree with the provider what they will collect, how it will be anonymised or aggregated, where it will be stored, who can see it and when it will be deleted. Your data protection officer, if you have one, should be involved early.
What drives the cost
D&I pricing varies widely, and a figure from one provider tells you little about another. It is more useful to understand what moves the price:
- The scope, from a single session to a strategy with ongoing support
- How many people take part, and at what seniority
- Whether content is bespoke or adapted from an existing programme
- Delivery format, in person, virtual or digital, and any travel
- The depth of any audit, data analysis or survey work
- How much measurement and follow-up is included
When comparing quotes, check that each covers the same scope, especially follow-up and measurement, which are often the first things left out of a cheaper proposal.
Red flags
- A standard package recommended before they have asked about your organisation
- Promises of guaranteed results, or of a quick fix to culture
- No clear way of measuring anything beyond attendance and satisfaction
- Legal explanations that do not match official guidance, particularly on positive action
- Vague answers about how your employees' data will be handled
- Awards or accreditations with no clear, independent assessment behind them
Questions to ask providers
Checklist: Questions for your shortlist
FAQs
What is the difference between diversity and inclusion?
Diversity describes who is in your organisation. Inclusion describes whether those people feel valued and able to contribute without having to conform. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) notes that inclusion is different from diversity and needs to be measured separately, so a provider should be able to say which one their work addresses.
Does unconscious bias training work?
A December 2020 evidence review by the Behavioural Insights Team, commissioned by the Government Equalities Office, found no evidence that this training changes behaviour in the long term or improves workplace equality in representation. That does not make all D&I training ineffective, but it is a good reason to ask any training provider how they measure behaviour change and what follows the session.
Is positive action legal in the UK?
Yes, within limits. The Equality Act 2010 allows proportionate positive action to help people who share a protected characteristic overcome disadvantage, have their needs met or participate more. Positive discrimination, treating someone more favourably simply because of a protected characteristic, is unlawful in Great Britain. A provider supporting your recruitment should be clear about the difference.
Do we have to report on diversity by law?
Employers with 250 or more employees must publish gender pay gap data each year. Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, gender pay gap and menopause action plans are voluntary for now and are due to become mandatory from spring 2027, subject to secondary legislation. Take legal advice on what applies to your organisation.
What does the duty to prevent sexual harassment mean for D&I work?
Since 26 October 2024, employers must take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their workers, including by third parties. The Equality and Human Rights Commission's guidance lists steps such as a clear anti-harassment policy and regular risk assessments. A D&I provider may help with parts of this, but responsibility stays with the employer.
Sources and further reading
- Discrimination: your rights, GOV.UK
- Positive action in the workplace: guidance for employers, GOV.UK (April 2023)
- New protections from sexual harassment come into force, GOV.UK
- EHRC publishes updated workplace sexual harassment guidance ahead of change to law, Equality and Human Rights Commission
- Gender pay gap reporting: guidance for employers, GOV.UK
- Employer action plans, business.gov.uk
- Unconscious bias and diversity training: what the evidence says, Behavioural Insights Team for the Government Equalities Office, via GOV.UK (December 2020)
- Building inclusive workplaces: assessing the evidence, CIPD (2019)
- Reasonable adjustments for workers with disabilities or health conditions, GOV.UK
- What is special category data?, Information Commissioner's Office
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Take advice on how the law applies to your organisation.