Diversity Sourcing

Diverse Supplier Qualifications

To qualify as a diverse supplier, businesses must be at least 51% owned, operated, and controlled on a daily basis by one or more persons of the above designated groups. Diverse companies typically authenticate their qualifying status through the following nationally recognized third-party certification services:

• Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)

  National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). The NMSDC Network includes a national office in New York and 23 regional affiliates across the country.

• Women-Owned Businesses

  Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) provides a national standard of certification to women-owned businesses through its 14 regional partner organizations.

• Veterans & Service-Disabled Veteran-owned Businesses (SDVBE)

  The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Vets First Verification Program affords verified firms owned and controlled by veterans and service-disabled veterans the opportunity to compete for VA set-asides.

• Disability-Owned Business Enterprise (DOBE)

  DOBE Certification is provided by the U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN).

• LGBTQIA+-Owned Businesses

  The National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) is the exclusive, third-party certification body that grants Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Business Enterprise (LGBTBE) designation to businesses that are majority-owned by LGBTQIA+ individuals.

• Small Business Enterprises (SBEs)

  SBE certifications are issued by the local or state government. Eligibility for certification as a small business enterprise varies depending on the issuer; requirements may relate to number of employees, length of time the company has been in business and the net worth of the company's owner.

• Historically Underutilized Businesses Zones (HUBZone)

  HUBZone is a Small Business Administration (SBA) program for small companies that operate and employ people in Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZones). To be eligible for certification, businesses must be located in a HUBZone; be a small business by SBA’s standard; be owned and controlled at least 51% by U.S. citizens or a community development corporation, an agricultural cooperative, or an Indian tribe; the principal office must be located within a HUBZone; and at least 35% of its employees must reside in a HUBZone.