Amgen spent decades building one of the world's leading biotechnology companies from a base in Thousand Oaks, California. With roughly $33 billion in annual revenue and more than 23,000 employees, the company runs a significant procurement operation across manufacturing, research, facilities, professional services, and commercial operations. Their supplier diversity program has been active since 2007, which means there are established processes and dedicated staff to work with.
If you run a minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, disability-owned, or small business, this guide covers what Amgen buys, how the registration process works, which certifications matter, and what it takes to win a first contract.
What Amgen buys from external suppliers
Amgen's external spend spans a wide range of categories. On the direct side, the company sources raw materials, active pharmaceutical ingredients, laboratory supplies, packaging, and manufacturing equipment. These categories typically require meeting stringent regulatory and quality standards, including compliance with FDA requirements for pharmaceutical manufacturing.
The indirect spend categories are where most diverse suppliers initially find entry points. These include:
- Information technology: software, hardware, managed services, IT staffing
- Professional services: consulting, legal, finance, HR support, training
- Facilities and real estate: construction, maintenance, janitorial, landscaping, security
- Marketing and communications: creative agencies, print, events, market research
- Logistics and transportation: freight, distribution, last-mile delivery
Amgen's headquarters in Thousand Oaks draws suppliers for on-site services, but the company also has major operations in Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Washington state, and internationally. Regional suppliers who can serve those sites have real opportunities.
How to register as a supplier
Amgen manages supplier registration through a centralized portal. To find it, navigate to Amgen's corporate website and look under the "Suppliers" or "Doing Business with Amgen" section, or search for "Amgen supplier registration" directly. The portal is managed through an enterprise procurement system where you create a profile and submit your company's information for review.
Plan to have the following ready before you start:
- Legal business name, tax ID (EIN), and DUNS or SAM.gov UEI number
- Business description with NAICS codes that match your primary services
- Certifications (copies of MBE, WBE, or other diversity certificates)
- References from past corporate or government clients
- Insurance certificates at Amgen's required coverage levels
- Banking and payment information for onboarding
The registration process is not instant approval. After submitting, your profile goes through a qualification review. Amgen's procurement and supplier diversity teams assess capability, financial stability, and fit against current sourcing needs. Being registered does not guarantee you will receive a bid invitation, but it is a prerequisite for being considered.
Keep your profile current. Amgen's category managers search registered supplier profiles when needs arise, and an outdated profile with missing information will not surface well in those searches.
Certifications Amgen recognizes
Amgen publicly partners with NMSDC, WBENC, and Disability:IN. These are the three certifications that carry the most direct weight in their supplier diversity program.
NMSDC certification (Minority Business Enterprise) is the primary credential for minority-owned businesses. Amgen is a corporate member of NMSDC, which means their procurement team has direct access to the NMSDC supplier database and attends NMSDC events. An MBE certificate issued by an NMSDC regional affiliate is recognized across all Amgen procurement categories.
WBENC certification (Women's Business Enterprise) functions similarly. Amgen's membership in WBENC gives their supplier diversity team a pipeline to certified WBEs, and WBENC-certified firms appear in the WBENC database that Amgen actively searches. WBENC certification takes roughly three to four months and costs between $350 and $1,250 per year depending on your revenue.
Disability:IN certification (Disability-Owned Business Enterprise) is the credential for businesses majority-owned and operated by people with disabilities. Amgen's participation in Disability:IN signals a commitment to this supplier segment, and DOBE certification differentiates you in a less crowded field than MBE or WBE.
Veteran-owned and LGBTQ+-owned certifications (NaVOBA and NGLCC respectively) are also recognized, though Amgen's public supplier diversity materials specifically highlight the three organizations above.
If you hold multiple certifications, list all of them in your supplier profile. Amgen's supplier diversity team tracks spend across multiple categories, and a supplier who qualifies under more than one designation is useful to them for reporting purposes.
How diverse certification affects your chances
Amgen sets measurable diversity spend targets and reports progress publicly. That creates internal pressure on category managers to route spend to certified diverse suppliers when qualified options exist. In practice, this means a certified MBE competing for a facilities or marketing contract at Amgen starts with a meaningful structural advantage over an uncertified competitor with equivalent capabilities.
The effect is strongest in indirect spend categories. Direct spend categories in pharmaceutical manufacturing involve quality and regulatory requirements that often narrow the field regardless of diversity status, though Amgen does work to develop diverse suppliers in those areas over time.
Diverse certification also gets you into events and matchmaking sessions that uncertified suppliers cannot attend. Those introductions matter because procurement at a company like Amgen is relationship-driven. A category manager who has met you at an NMSDC conference and reviewed your capabilities is far more likely to include you on a bid than someone who submitted a profile online and never followed up.
Who handles supplier diversity at Amgen
Amgen maintains a dedicated Supplier Diversity team within their procurement organization. The relevant role to connect with is the Supplier Diversity Manager or Director, depending on the current organizational structure. This person owns the company's diversity spend reporting, manages partnerships with NMSDC, WBENC, and Disability:IN, and can direct your outreach to the right category manager.
Do not try to cold-contact individual buyers. The supplier diversity team is the right entry point. They can tell you which categories are active for sourcing, when registration is most useful to complete, and what development programs are currently available.
Supplier development programs and events
Amgen participates in third-party matchmaking events run by NMSDC and WBENC at both the regional and national level. The NMSDC annual conference and regional affiliate matchmakers are the most consistent way to get face time with Amgen's procurement team. WBENC's national conference and Salute to Women's Business Leaders event serve the same function for WBE suppliers.
Disability:IN's annual conference is another venue where Amgen typically participates given their DOBE program commitments.
Beyond external events, Amgen has run internal supplier development initiatives focused on helping diverse suppliers meet their quality and regulatory requirements, particularly for suppliers pursuing entry into direct spend categories. Ask the supplier diversity team specifically about development programs when you make contact. Availability varies by year and budget cycle.
Tips for winning a first contract
Registration and certification are the foundation, not the finish line. Here is what actually moves the needle.
Get specific about your NAICS codes. Amgen's sourcing system filters by category. If your registered codes do not match what a category manager is sourcing, your profile will not appear in their search results even if you are fully qualified. Audit your codes carefully and include every category where you can legitimately deliver.
Attend NMSDC and WBENC events where Amgen is present. Introduce yourself to their supplier diversity team in person. Follow up within a week with a one-page capability statement that covers your services, certifications, notable past clients, and contact information.
Start with smaller scopes. A $50,000 facilities maintenance contract or a single-event marketing engagement is a more realistic first engagement than a multi-year IT services deal. Delivering well on a small contract builds the internal reference you need to get considered for larger work.
Track Amgen's public news for expansion and renovation projects. Major facility investments, new product launches, or organizational changes often drive new sourcing needs in categories like construction, staffing, and professional services.
Be patient and systematic. Amgen's procurement cycle for indirect spend can take six to eighteen months from first introduction to first purchase order. Companies that win there treat it as a long sales cycle, not a quick transaction.
