Reporting on supplier diversity.

How to become an HCA Healthcare supplier (and where supplier diversity fits now)

HCA Healthcare buys through HealthTrust, its group purchasing organization, not a single vendor form. Here's the actual path in, what credentialing requires, …

Jan 7, 2026 · Will Moss

Best Supplier Diversity Certifications for Tech Companies (2026)

Diverse-owned tech firms face a different certification calculus than firms in construction, services, or manufacturing. Buyers, vehicles, and acceptance preferences are sector-specific. …

Jan 7, 2026 · Mario Bailey

How to do business with the Alabama government

Alabama runs two vendor systems, not one, and a state minority/women-owned certification through ADECA. Here's the order to do it in, and …

Jan 7, 2026 · Mario Bailey

How to become an EY (Ernst & Young) supplier: the realistic path through Inclusive Procurement

EY buys from diverse-owned firms through its Inclusive Procurement team, but there's no public bid board. Here's the registration path, what certifications …

Jan 6, 2026 · Will Moss

Jan 6, 2026 · SupplierDiversity.com Editorial Team

Guide · 10 min

APEX Accelerators: Free Government Contracting Help

There's a federally-funded office in your state whose only job is to help you win government contracts. They don't charge a dime. …

Jan 5, 2026 · SupplierDiversity.com Editorial Team

How to become an ExxonMobil supplier: registration, supplier diversity, and the realistic on-ramp

ExxonMobil spent more than $6.8 billion with diverse U.S. suppliers in 2024. Registering in their diversity database is free and takes an …

Jan 5, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide · 15 min

How to Use AI to Win More Contracts: The Diverse Supplier's 2026 Guide to ChatGPT, Proposals, and Competing Against Big Business

Small diverse businesses can now compete with Fortune 500 contractors using AI. Learn exactly how to use ChatGPT to write capability statements, …

How to become an Elevance Health (Anthem) supplier: the diverse-business on-ramp

Elevance Health spent over $1.2 billion with diverse suppliers in 2024. Registration runs through SAP Ariba and takes an afternoon. Getting picked …

Jan 2, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide · 12 min

8(a) vs HUBZone vs WOSB: Choosing Your Federal Certification in 2026

Federal small-business set-asides are not interchangeable. A clear framework for choosing among 8(a), HUBZone, and WOSB based on what your business actually …

Jan 2, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Jan 1, 2026 · SupplierDiversity.com Editorial Team

How to become an AT&T supplier: registration, the inclusivity program, and a realistic timeline

Registering as an AT&T supplier is an online form. Getting an actual contract is a multi-year relationship. Here's the real process, what …

Jan 1, 2026 · Mario Bailey

News · 8 min

The 8(a) Program Audit: What Every Certified Business Must Know

The SBA has launched a comprehensive audit of all 4,300 8(a) participants. Deadline extended to January 19, 2026. Here's what you need …

How to vet and onboard a small or diverse supplier

Vetting a small supplier isn't about lowering the bar. It's about checking the right things in the right order so a first …

Dec 31, 2025 · Mario Bailey

How to verify a supplier's small business and socioeconomic status

A supplier's word that they're an SDVOSB no longer counts toward your goals. Here's how to confirm SB and socioeconomic status against …

Dec 30, 2025 · Mario Bailey

Using SBA SUBNet to post and find subcontracting opportunities

SUBNet is the SBA's posting board for subcontracting opportunities, and it still helps you document outreach for a FAR 52.219-9 plan. But …

Dec 29, 2025 · Mario Bailey

Tier 1 vs Tier 2 diverse spend: what counts and how to report it

Tier 1 is the spend you pay diverse and small suppliers directly. Tier 2 is what flows through your suppliers. Here's what …

Dec 26, 2025 · Mario Bailey

Supplier diversity metrics and KPIs that actually matter

Most supplier diversity dashboards measure the wrong things. Here's the short list of metrics tied to compliance and economic impact, the vanity …

Dec 24, 2025 · Mario Bailey

Supplier diversity after the DEI rollback: what to keep and what to rename

The 2025 rollback hit voluntary corporate programs, not the statutory federal set-aside and subcontracting machinery. Here's what's durable, what to reframe, and …

Dec 23, 2025 · Mario Bailey

Where to find certified MBE, WBE, and diverse suppliers

If you have a subcontracting plan to meet or a Tier-2 number to report, the supplier has to be certified by the …

Dec 22, 2025 · Mario Bailey

Guide · 7 min

The Small Business Liaison Officer (SBLO): role, responsibilities, and how to staff it

If your company holds a contract with a subcontracting plan, you are required by FAR 52.219-9 to designate a Small Business Liaison …

Dec 19, 2025 · Mario Bailey

How to run a Tier 2 supplier diversity reporting program

Tier 2 reporting fails on data quality, not good intentions. Here's which primes to enroll, what to collect, how direct and indirect …

Dec 18, 2025 · Mario Bailey

How to meet your small business subcontracting plan goals

If you carry a subcontracting plan under FAR 52.219-9, the goals are contractual, not aspirational. Here is where the dollars leak, how …

Dec 17, 2025 · Mario Bailey

How to measure the economic impact of your supplier program

Spend totals don't tell the story your CFO or your contracting officer wants. Here's how to turn supplier program spend into jobs, …

Dec 16, 2025 · Mario Bailey

Limitations on subcontracting: what buyers need to know

If you hold a set-aside prime, the limitations on subcontracting rule caps how much work you can push to firms that aren't …

Dec 16, 2025 · Mario Bailey