Business diversity suppliers have received diversity certification from a certified diversity supplier association. By becoming certified, these diversity suppliers are given access to business opportunities with prospective clients who have adopted diversity supplier standards to evaluate and select other businesses in an effort to meet its diversity goals. These standards may include requiring a percentage of diversity approved vendors or specific demographic requirements regarding the supplier’s workforce.

Supplier diversity is defined by your company’s NAICS code and preferred qualifications from a specific region or minority population data collection and analysis information. In determining whether an applicant qualifies as a diversity supplier, it is important that businesses consider both their compliance requirements and top priority needs before applying for certification. Certified diversity suppliers must continue to prove their diversity supplier status by reconfirming diversity characteristics annually.

When considering diversity certification, diversity suppliers should investigate the diversity supplier association that is best suited to their business needs. A diversity supply association determines if your company qualifies for diversity certification based on its history of providing services in a specific racial and ethnic community. Your chosen diversity supplier must have provided services in at least two minority communities with populations of 5,000 individuals within a 50-mile radius from the headquarters or branch office of the diversity supplier applicant.