Supplier Program Diversity
Our policy is to provide diverse businesses the opportunity to participate in all areas of our contracting activities. This policy applies to all firms or institutions regardless of the business owner’s race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age or status as a special disabled veteran or other veteran.
In the United States, these activities comply with applicable federal, state and local laws, including those dealing with the use of small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, women-owned small businesses, veteran-owned businesses and service-disabled veterans.
This policy applies to all areas of expenditures, whether for products or services:
- Our supplier diversity program expands purchasing opportunities for businesses owned and operated by minorities, women, gay and lesbian persons, veterans and service-disabled veterans, and disabled persons.
- Minority-owned businesses are defined as being at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more individuals from any of the following ethnic groups: Black, Hispanic, Native (including Eskimo and Native Hawaiians) and Asian Americans; or is "minority controlled" by 30% of its voting stock, board of directors and management.
- Women-owned businesses are defined as being at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more women.
- GLBT-owned businesses are defined as being at least 51% owned by one or more gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered individuals.
Certifications
The Supplier Diversity Certification Process helps to ensure that diverse companies are certified minority, women, disabled and/or small and disadvantaged businesses.
As a part of our ongoing commitment to supplier diversity, it is important that we maintain integrity in our tracking and reporting. Each year, we update a supplier diversity plan. Quarterly, we have the ability to provide a report of diversity spend to our commercial customers who request this data. This reporting provides total spend by supplier and category – we do not report diversity spend by individual contract.
Suppliers that wish to have minority-owned or women-owned business designation within our systems must provide appropriate certification(s). When multiple designations apply, multiple certifications from multiple agencies/associations are required. Suppliers must acquire and maintain valid certification(s) from the following agencies and/or associations, as appropriate:
- The National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) and its regional affiliate councils
- The Small Business Administration (SBA) - 8a/SDB programs
- A federal government agency (i.e. Dept. of Transportation)
- A state government agency (i.e. Dept. of Transportation)
- A local (county, city) government agency (i.e. City of Chicago/Cook County)
- Women Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)
- National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC)
