Dow's starting point for a new supplier is the Zycus Supplier Network (ZSN), linked from the "New and existing suppliers" page on corporate.dow.com. Dow describes ZSN as a third-party tool where suppliers register and nominate themselves to do business with Dow. Registration is self-service. It is also, in Dow's words, no guarantee of "a request to bid, a contract with Dow" or any current or future procurement relationship. Dow keeps your information on file for when a matching sourcing need comes up.
Two other facts belong at the top because they shape whether Dow is a good customer for a small business: Dow still runs a supplier diversity program with real internal teeth, and it pays approved invoices 90 days after it receives them.
How to register with Dow
- Read Dow's supplier criteria. Dow says it chooses suppliers on more than price. It looks for a commitment to reliable, high-quality supply; the ability to provide unique solutions, services or raw materials; collaboration on product performance; and sustainability and ethical practices, including labor practices.
- Open the Zycus Supplier Network from Dow's Zycus page and download the Supplier Self-Service Guide there. Dow says the guide gives step-by-step instructions for the documentation you need if you qualify for a future opportunity.
- Build your profile. In ZSN you enter and maintain your company name, address, contacts, tax ID and, once onboarded, banking details. ZSN is also where you identify as a diverse supplier and attach your certification. Do this on the first pass; it is how a diverse-supplier search inside Dow finds you.
- Get in front of a buyer. A profile waits for a need. Dow's sourcing page explains that commercial discussions require "the direct and full involvement of authorized Purchasing employees." That means the Strategic Sourcing Center, not the engineer or plant manager who would use your product.
Who at Dow can actually say yes
Dow splits purchasing into two centers, and knowing which is which saves months.
| Group | What it does | When you deal with it |
|---|---|---|
| Strategic Sourcing Center | Sets global, regional and site sourcing strategies and negotiates contracts for raw materials, packaging, logistics, IT, capital projects, labor and services | Winning the business |
| Purchasing Business Process Services Center (Procure to Pay) | Implements contracts, issues purchase orders, runs accounts payable | After you win: POs, corrections, invoices |
Dow also separates authority to spend (people who approve requisitions for their projects) from authority to commit (Global Purchasing Strategic Sourcing employees, the only ones authorized to sign contracts and place orders). An enthusiastic plant contact is useful. They cannot commit Dow to a contract.
Local firms are not shut out. Dow's FAQ says it builds purchasing strategies at global, area and site level, and answers "I am a local supplier. Do I have an opportunity to supply to Dow?" with "Yes," on the condition that the supplier is competitive on long-term cost of ownership.
Plan for 90-day payment terms
Dow's sourcing page states the policy plainly: since May 15, 2020, approved invoices are paid 90 days after Dow receives the invoice, in the next scheduled payment run after the due date. For a small supplier carrying materials and payroll, that is a quarter of a year between delivering and getting paid.
Price it in before you bid, and line up the financing first. Our working capital guide for diverse suppliers compares the usual options. Dow's invoice page also links an "Accelerated Payment Programs" page; we did not read its terms for this guide, so ask your Dow contact what it offers and at what cost before you count on it.
After award, purchase orders arrive by fax, email or EDI, and some pre-qualified suppliers receive them through Ariba or Elemica. Dow's Supplier Invoice Status page lets you check payment status by PO and invoice number, and links CASS and OTM for freight invoices.
Dow's supplier diversity program, as Dow states it now
Unlike many corporate programs that were renamed or quietly retired in 2025, Dow's supplier diversity page is live and specific. Its stated vision covers businesses primarily owned by women, ethnic minorities, veterans, LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities. Its policy is to build "mutually profitable business relationships with diverse suppliers who are globally competitive."
What Dow says it does:
- includes diverse suppliers in its evaluation of suppliers through strategic sourcing;
- partners with national and regional development councils to encourage certification;
- runs the Dow Diverse Supplier Accelerator Program, a mentoring and development program it says has expanded to Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India, making it global;
- ties spend to pay: Dow says its Board added spend with certified diverse businesses to the Performance Award bonus program for all people leaders.
That last point is the practical one. Dow managers are rewarded for spend with certified diverse businesses, so a current certification is a reason for a Dow buyer to take your call. If you are not certified yet, start with our MBE certification guide or the certification overview.
Dow's public pages do not name which certifying bodies it accepts, publish a current spend figure, or give a supplier diversity contact address. We state none of those here.
Rules Dow will hold you to
Dow's expectations page names two that surprise suppliers coming from smaller customers. Reciprocity is out: an agreed "I buy from you if you buy from me" arrangement is grounds for termination, though Dow says it will still entertain supply proposals from its customers on their merits. And Purchasing staff discourage gifts and entertainment invitations, so do not lead with either.
Your next step: download Dow's Supplier Self-Service Guide from its Zycus page, build your ZSN profile with your certification attached, and have a one-page capability statement ready for the day a Strategic Sourcing buyer asks for one. If you also sell to other materials companies, our 3M supplier guide covers a comparable process.
Sources
Checked November 6, 2026, on corporate.dow.com: New and Existing Suppliers; Zycus Supplier Network; Sourcing (including the Global Accounts Payables Policy); Expectations of Suppliers; Dow Supplier FAQ; Supplier Invoice Requirements and Status; Supplier Diversity.
