Belfast Business Promise

Introducing the Belfast Business Promise

Belfast Business Promise is our new accreditation for employers working to improve Belfast. Working together to make Belfast a better city involves providing good jobs, whilst also supporting a sustainable local economy and building a healthier city for everyone. We want to create a community of organisations committed to improving how they do business together.

This scheme will set aspirations for excellence and its flexibility makes sure all employers can take part, regardless of size and sector.

Watch our information video

Watch this one minute 40-second video about the Belfast Business Promise.

Belfast Business Promise accreditation

We are inviting organisations to sign up to an accreditation scheme and agree to eight Promise Pledges. The pledges represent best practice standards in:

• providing good jobs
• prompt payment
• recruitment
• supporting the local and social economy, and
• environmental sustainability.

By joining, you'll get free tailored support from the Belfast Business Promise team and your peer community to work towards improving your organisation’s performance against the best practice pledge standards.

Eligibility for Belfast Business Promise membership and accreditation

To join the Belfast Business Promise, your organisation must be:

• an employer
• based in Belfast.

Businesses, public sector bodies, service providers, third sector organisations, voluntary and community organisations are eligible to join.

On your journey towards accreditation, you’ll be joining a network of organisations committed to making a better Belfast and shaping a brighter city for everyone.

The eight pledges

The Belfast Business Promise has eight pledges for employers. The pledges are:

1. Provide fair wages and contracts: Ensuring your employees are paid the Real Living Wage (RLW) and have security around the hours they work.
2. Work in partnership with our communities: Working in collaboration with local communities through meaningful engagement, to bring about positive impact.
3. Protect our environment: Working together to tackle the global challenge of climate change and protect our environment for future generations.
4. Offer opportunities into work: Creating pathways into work by providing job and development opportunities, and removing barriers to employment.
5. Support the local and social economy: Using our purchasing power to support the local economy, increase competitiveness and add social value.
6. Pay promptly: Paying supplier invoices on time.
7. Recruit inclusively: Ensuring job accessibility for all citizens and hiring across diverse communities.
8. Improve training, engagement and well-being: Creating a workplace where employees feel valued and can thrive.

Figure 1 Belfast Business Promise pledges

Figure 1 shows the eight pledges in the Belfast Business Promise.

Levels of accreditation

Every employer starts as a Supporter and gains Supporter accreditation by committing to developing an action plan to work towards meeting five pledges (including two of three core pledges). Once you can successfully evidence having met your five chosen pledges, you will gain Member accreditation. The highest tier of Ambassador is for members who have demonstrated they meet all eight pledges.

Register your interest

Interested in signing up?

Register your interest in the Belfast Business Promise (link opens in new window).

Supporters and partners

Supporters

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• Babcock
• Belfast Chamber
• Belfast City Airport
• Belfast City Council
• Belfast Harbour
• Belfast Healthy Cities
• BT
• Changeover Technologies
• Card Group
• Castle Community Trust
• Department for Economy
• Disability Action
• Diverse Talent
• Diversity Mark
• East Belfast Enterprise
• Endeavour Information Solutions
• Exploristics
• Fish City
• Footprints Women’s Centre
• GEMS NI
• GLL
• Honeycomb
• JMD Training
• Labour Relations Agency
• Lamb Films
• Lighthouse
• Linen Quarter Bid
• MCS Group
• Mott MacDonald
• NB Housing
• NI Takeaway Association
• NOW Group
• Orchardville
• People 1st
• Power NI 
• Queen’s University Belfast
• Relate NI
• S3 Solutions
• Social Enterprise NI
• Springvale Learning
• Translink
• Ulster University
• Wee Chicks Daycare
• West Belfast Partnership Board
• Workforce Training

Partners

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Watch our key partners video

In this one minute 40-second, some of our partner organisations and businesses discuss taking part in the Belfast Business Promise.