EY (Ernst & Young) is one of the four largest professional services firms in the world, with $49.4 billion in global revenue in FY2023. In the U.S., the firm operates through Ernst & Young LLP and has a documented supplier diversity program with active procurement across audit, advisory, tax, and infrastructure services.
If you run a certified diverse business and want EY as a client, this guide covers the program structure, how to register, what they buy, and what actually moves an application forward.
EY's supplier diversity program
EY's program is called EY Access. The program is positioned internally as a commitment to source from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ individuals.
EY is a corporate member of both NMSDC (National Minority Supplier Development Council) and WBENC (Women's Business Enterprise National Council). Membership in these bodies is the clearest signal of where they want their supplier base to come from. They participate in national conferences run by both organizations and have historically sponsored NMSDC's annual conference.
EY has publicly committed to Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier diversity spend. Tier 1 means direct contracts with diverse-owned firms. Tier 2 means they ask their prime vendors to track how much of their subcontracting spend flows to diverse firms — and report it back to EY. Both tiers count toward their internal goals.
The program is managed out of the firm's procurement and sourcing function. The team responsible for EY Access sits within their Americas supply chain organization.
Which certifications carry weight
EY recognizes certifications from the major national bodies:
- MBE (Minority Business Enterprise) — issued by NMSDC regional councils. This is the most important certification for getting in front of EY's procurement team. MBE certification from an NMSDC council affiliate is the clearest door-opener.
- WBE (Women's Business Enterprise) — issued by WBENC or a WBENC regional partner organization
- SDVOSB (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business) — federal certification via the VA's VETBIZ registry, now processed through SBA's certification portal
- LGBTBE (LGBT Business Enterprise) — issued by NGLCC (National LGBT Chamber of Commerce)
- DOBE (Disability-Owned Business Enterprise) — issued by Disability:IN
8(a) certification and SBA HUBZone certification are less relevant here — EY is a private-sector buyer, not a federal prime contractor. That said, holding 8(a) or HUBZone certification won't hurt your registration.
Get your NMSDC MBE or WBENC WBE certification first if you qualify. EY's procurement team will recognize those instantly. LGBTBE and DOBE are smaller but valued — EY has separately committed to LGBTQ+ inclusion through its memberships with NGLCC.
How to register
EY uses Coupa as its procurement and supplier management platform. Registration happens through their supplier portal, accessible from Ernst & Young LLP's procurement pages.
Steps:
- Go to EY's supplier registration page (search "EY supplier registration" or "Ernst Young supplier portal Coupa"). The firm's procurement contact page links out to Coupa onboarding.
- Create a Coupa Supplier Network (CSN) account if you don't already have one. CSN is a shared network — if you're already registered with another Coupa-connected buyer, your profile may be partially pre-filled.
- Complete your company profile: legal entity name, EIN, NAICS codes, service descriptions, ownership demographics, and certification details.
- Upload your certification documents: your NMSDC certificate, WBENC certificate, or other credentials. Include the certificate issue date and expiration date.
- Identify your relevant service categories and mark your diversity classifications.
After submission, EY's procurement team reviews and classifies your profile. You won't automatically receive RFP invitations — that requires a separate step (see below).
Register even if you don't have an active opportunity. EY sources reactively; they search their supplier database when a need arises, not the other way around.
What EY buys from diverse suppliers
EY's direct procurement from diverse firms concentrates in a few categories:
Professional and technical services: Research, data analysis, translation and interpretation, document review, subject matter consulting on specific industries. EY's advisory practice sometimes engages niche consultants for specific engagements.
Technology and IT services: Software development, QA testing, cybersecurity services, data management, application support. EY's technology consulting practice is large and generates subcontracting demand.
Facilities and real estate services: Office cleaning, food services, security, building maintenance, and construction/renovation for their offices. Their U.S. footprint spans roughly 50 major offices.
Marketing and communications: Creative services, event production, printing, branded merchandise, media buying support.
HR and staffing: Temporary staffing, training and development, executive coaching, employee wellness programs.
Legal and compliance support: Certain document-intensive compliance work, though EY's core legal work stays in-house.
If you sell into professional services firms, audit support, or corporate advisory environments, your service category likely has a buyer at EY. The firm's office footprint alone drives significant facilities and services spend.
How to get in front of the right people
Registration alone does not generate meetings. Here is what works:
Attend NMSDC's Annual Conference. EY's supplier diversity team attends every year. This is the single best opportunity to introduce your firm in person. The conference typically runs in October. EY often hosts or co-sponsors matchmaking sessions and business opportunity exchanges at the event. Come with a one-page capability statement, not just a business card.
Attend WBENC's National Conference and Business Fair. If you hold WBE certification, this is the equivalent event. WBENC's annual conference draws corporate members including EY. The business fair format gives you structured time with procurement representatives.
Engage your NMSDC regional council. EY maintains relationships with regional councils including NMSDC affiliates in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and other major markets where EY has large offices. Your regional council may have direct introductions to EY's local procurement contacts or can recommend your firm for specific opportunities.
Use the Coupa portal's capability match feature. Once registered, make sure your NAICS codes and service descriptions are accurate. EY's procurement team searches by category. A vague description ("business consulting") will not surface your firm when they search for something specific ("data quality review for financial audit").
Direct outreach to the supplier diversity team. EY publishes supplier diversity contact information through its website. A brief, direct email — two or three sentences describing what you do, who your clients are, and why you're relevant to EY — is appropriate. Do not send a pitch deck on first contact. Ask for a 15-minute introduction call.
Track EY's RFP activity. EY issues formal RFPs for significant contracts through Coupa. If your firm is registered and categorized correctly, you may receive invitations directly. Smaller engagements sometimes go through informal sourcing — a category manager calls firms they recognize from their supplier list.
Realistic timeline
Getting registered takes one to two days once your certifications are in hand. Certification itself is the long part: NMSDC MBE certification typically takes 60 to 120 days depending on your regional council's queue. WBENC WBE certification runs a similar timeline.
After registration, expect three to twelve months before a real conversation materializes. EY's procurement is centralized; the team responsible for diverse supplier development is not the same team managing day-to-day purchasing. The connection between your registration and an actual RFP requires either an inbound search (a category manager finds you) or a warm introduction.
Companies that land EY contracts typically share a few characteristics: they have verifiable work for other Fortune 500 or Big 4 clients, they show up at NMSDC or WBENC events consistently over more than one year, and they can demonstrate delivery at EY's scale. A 3-person firm can win work, but the engagement will likely be a contained project, not an enterprise contract.
Set a realistic target: first paid engagement within 12 to 18 months of certification, assuming consistent relationship-building at industry events and follow-up after the NMSDC Annual Conference.
Before you apply
Two things to resolve before you invest time in EY's pipeline:
First, confirm your certification is current. NMSDC MBE and WBENC WBE certifications renew annually. An expired certificate disqualifies you at the registration stage and will delay your profile approval.
Second, check your NAICS codes. EY's sourcing team searches by NAICS. Know the three to five codes that most accurately describe your services and list them in your Coupa profile. The full list of NAICS codes is at census.gov.
If you qualify for NMSDC MBE or WBENC WBE certification and sell professional, technology, or facilities services, EY is a realistic target. The process is not fast, but it is documented and accessible.
