Buyers

Buying from small and diverse businesses strengthens our local economy by creating jobs, helping improve and maintain our local public infrastructure through tax revenue, and benefiting our communities both socially and economically.    

The State benefits from a stronger competitive base with a more diverse supplier pool. It means the State can better respond to emergencies, more continuity in the supply chain, and better adaptability to fluctuations in the economy.  

Below are the steps you can take to create a more diverse supply chain.

1. Identify funding sources and understand legal parameters

Funding will impact what you can implement and understanding legal parameters will help you establish a program that is legally defensible and compliant. When providing preference based on race or gender, the program must be narrowly tailored and follow strict scrutiny.

2. Use data

Define terms and supplier classifications to measure supplier utilization. Determine if you accept self-certified (self-identified) classifications or if you require certification to accept the business ownership designation. A certified supplier is considered more credible as the supplier has to complete a process where another entity certifies or validates their supplier ownership designation. Use data to understand what is being purchased (total spend) and compare it to what you spend with small and diverse suppliers.  

For construction, look at reporting by prime contractors on their utilization of small and diverse subcontractors. Identify barriers and find solutions to remove them by creating community groups with internal stakeholders to inform your work.

3. Create policy

Create a policy for the utilization of small and diverse suppliers. The policy should address why it is important, how it will be implemented, and when implementation will begin.

4. Find opportunities

Make a conscious effort to include small diverse suppliers in your supply chain. Use small and diverse suppliers with small-dollar spending (state and local government, public institutions of higher education, and K-12 schools have established spending thresholds for small-dollar purchases, also known as discretionary spending).  

Using small and diverse suppliers for these purchases presents a big opportunity for both buyers and sellers!

5. Ask for certifications for small and diverse businesses or diversity plans

Ask for certifications from suppliers when receiving a solicitation response to understand the participation of small and diverse businesses. Knowing who's responding to solicitations helps agencies understand where to increase outreach efforts to encourage the participation of small and diverse businesses.  

6. Use tools and create your own supplier lists

Find small and diverse suppliers (see the links below) and contact these suppliers when opportunities are available.

7. Community outreach

Include information on your agency website on how suppliers can work with you for both small and large dollar purchases.

Participate in trade shows, expos, and events to meet and talk with small and diverse suppliers and use procurement data to inform where to focus outreach efforts.

You are all in and want to do business with small and diverse businesses but where do you find them?  There are many options to identify these small and diverse suppliers and we have compiled a list of ways you may be able to find small and diverse suppliers. More opportunities to find small and diverse suppliers can be found on our certifications for small & diverse businesses webpage. 

State and Local Government

Colorado Department of Transportation Certified Suppliers

• The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program (DBE)
• Emerging Small Business Directory

City & County of Denver

• Vendor Certification Search

Colorado Department of Agriculture - Colorado Proud

• Asian American and Pacific Islander Owned
• Black Owned 
• LGBTQ+ Owned

Federal Government 

• SBA Small Supplier Dynamic Search
• SBA Veteran-Owned Supplier Search

Private Sector 

If you often find yourself using Amazon for purchases, check out Amazon’s supplier diversity setting and set your search criteria to highlight small and diverse suppliers.

• Asian Chamber of Commerce Colorado
• Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce
• Colorado Springs Black Chamber of Commerce
• Colorado Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• Colorado LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce
• Colorado Neurodiversity Chamber of Commerce
• Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce
• Hispanic Contractors of Colorado 
• Latino Chamber of Commerce of Boulder County
• Latino Chamber of Commerce of Pueblo, Inc.
• Rocky Mountain Indian Chamber of Commerce (no member directory)
• Southern Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce
• Shop BIPOC

Find other Chambers of Commerce through the Colorado Chamber of Commerce.