Age UK today launches an accreditation scheme which will highlight products that are designed with older people in mind.

The scheme is available to companies involved in its Engage Business Network. Businesses can apply for the Engage Business Network Accreditation kitemark for its products and services at a cost of £1,500 per application, with the money raised going back into charitable work.

The Network has existed since before the 2009 merger of Age Concern and Help the Aged and was incorporated into Age UK. Each business pays an annual subscription of £1,000 to be a member and benefits include seminars and conferences, market research and consultancy and training services to help them understand how best to reach the 50-plus market.

Submissions to the kitemark scheme will be assessed by a panel of business and academic experts and the process will take about four months.
    
The charity says it launched the scheme to encourage more businesses to design services and products with the elderly in mind. It recently carried out research showing that 72 per cent of UK adults support the idea of products being designed with older people in mind was a good thing.

Duncan Lewis, group marketing and development director at Age UK said: “Through our Engage Business Network we are aiming to help companies identify the importance of designing all inclusive products and help them stay at them stay at the forefront of an increasingly competitive commercial landscape.”