Procurement teams work extra hard these days, balancing budget constraints, compliance, and institutional missions. Despite shifting political winds, building a diverse supplier base remains part of the mix by strengthening supply chain options, procurement teams can broadening supplier bases to avoid future supply chain disruptions and provide economic impact to local communities by adding local, small, and diverse businesses to their procurement plans.
This guide answers the questions, “What is a supplier inclusion program?”, explores options to consider as you begin to design and develop strategic programs that create institutional value, and includes examples of best practices implemented at other institutions.
A Supplier Inclusion program is a strategic initiative within an organization that aims to ensure that businesses owned by historically underrepresented or disadvantaged groups have equitable access to procurement opportunities. These groups often include:
A supplier inclusion program establishes the necessary policies and procedures to ensure that procurement teams and internal stakeholders are including all suppliers in the competitive bidding process. Understanding what is a supplier inclusion program in higher education also means recognizing that these initiatives are more than compliance exercises. They’re strategic tools that improve supply chain excellence , foster innovation, and align purchasing power with your institution’s mission and vision.
Colleges and universities are uniquely positioned to lead in supplier inclusion. As major employers and economic anchors in communities, academic institutions can:
Across higher education, institutions have developed formal programs that demonstrate accountability and progress. These efforts show that supplier inclusion can be integrated into any procurement strategy, regardless of size or scope.
Here are a few examples of how some universities approach their supplier inclusion programs.
While these programs may have different policies and approaches, they share similar goals and best practices.
Building an effective supplier inclusion program requires a strategic approach to procurement and a series of steps to turn goals into action.
Steps | BUILDING BLOCKS FOR SUPPLIER INCLUSION Programs |
Define Objectives | Establish clear strategy with goals that are aligned with the institutions mission, and ESG related commitments. . |
Secure Leadership Support | Gain buy-in from presidents, CFOs, and boards to ensure supplier inclusion strategy is included in the strategic plan . |
Identify Diverse Suppliers | Use certification databases (e.g., NMSDC, WBENC, SBA) and cooperative contracts to find qualified suppliers. |
Integrate into Procurement | Embed supplier inclusion requirements into RFPs, sourcing strategies, and evaluation criteria. |
Track Spend and Outcomes | Leverage eProcurement tools and analytics to measure diverse supplier spending and report award progress in RFP participation. |
Communicate Results | Share outcomes with internal stakeholders and the broader community through reports, newsletters and case studies. |
Continuous Improvement | Regularly review program effectiveness, address gaps, and evolve strategies as institutional needs change. |
A supplier inclusion program is a strategic framework that allows you to extend your institutional values across your campuses and demonstrate your commitment to an inclusive process.
If you are looking to begin or expand your efforts, E&I Cooperative Services offers a wide variety of cooperative contracts from certified diverse suppliers that can help you meet your goals. These contracts are competitively solicited and align with the unique needs of colleges and universities. As you work to fulfill your academic institution’s mission, these agreements can help you source and contract with diverse suppliers you may otherwise miss.
Request a free consultation with E&I Cooperative Services to discuss your supplier inclusion opportunities. E&I is the only member-owned nonprofit sourcing cooperative that focuses exclusively on the education sector.