Fidelity Investments manages roughly $12 trillion in assets under administration, making it the largest retirement services company in the United States. That scale creates a large procurement footprint — technology, facilities, professional services, marketing, and more. The company maintains a formal Supplier Diversity program and sources from certified MBE, WBE, SDVOSB, LGBTBE, and disability-owned businesses. Here is what you need to know to get in front of their sourcing team.
Fidelity's supplier diversity program
Fidelity's program falls under its broader Corporate Responsibility and Procurement functions. The company publicly commits to expanding its diverse supplier base and participates in major industry coalitions including the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) and WEConnect International. Fidelity has been a member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable, a coalition of corporations that each spend more than $1 billion annually with diverse suppliers, which signals that their commitments extend beyond marketing statements.
The company does not publish a single named dollar target the way some Fortune 500 firms do, but procurement leadership has cited diversity spend as a tracked KPI reported to senior leadership annually. The supplier diversity function sits within their Strategic Sourcing and Procurement group.
Which certifications carry weight
Fidelity recognizes certifications from nationally accredited bodies. The ones with the most traction in their program:
MBE (Minority Business Enterprise): Issued by NMSDC-affiliate regional councils. This is the most commonly referenced certification in Fidelity's diversity spend reporting, given Fidelity's NMSDC membership.
WBE (Women's Business Enterprise): Issued by WBENC or WEConnect International. Fidelity participates in WEConnect events and accepts WBENC certification.
SDVOSB (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business): Verified through the SBA's Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) program at vetcert.sba.gov. The old VA CVE portal was retired in 2023; SBA VetCert is now the authoritative source.
LGBTBE (LGBT Business Enterprise): Issued by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). Fidelity has engaged with NGLCC at the national conference level.
DOBE (Disability-Owned Business Enterprise): Issued by Disability:IN. Less commonly cited in Fidelity's public materials but accepted as a recognized diversity certification.
WOSB (Women-Owned Small Business): Federal SBA designation for government contracting. Fidelity is a private company so the federal WOSB designation carries less direct weight here than a WBENC certification, but it does signal credibility.
You need at least one active, nationally recognized certification before pursuing Fidelity seriously. Self-identification is not sufficient at this level of procurement.
Where and how to register
Fidelity uses SAP Ariba as its e-procurement platform. Supplier registration happens through the Ariba Network. The practical steps:
- Create or claim your company profile at supplier.ariba.com. Basic registration is free. An Ariba Standard Account is sufficient for initial discovery; an Ariba Enterprise Account ($50/month) is required if Fidelity issues you a purchase order through the platform.
- Complete your Ariba profile in full. Procurement teams search supplier databases by NAICS code, certification type, and keyword. An incomplete profile is effectively invisible.
- Fidelity's sourcing team and diverse supplier registration form can be reached through their supplier portal at fidelity.com/about-fidelity/supplier-diversity. This page includes a contact form specifically for diverse suppliers. Fill it out even if you have already registered on Ariba — it routes you directly to the Supplier Diversity team rather than general procurement intake.
- Upload your certification certificates as part of your profile. Include expiration dates. Procurement managers run certification audits and will filter out suppliers with lapsed documents.
What categories they source from diverse suppliers
Fidelity buys across a wide range of categories. Based on their public diversity program materials and NMSDC spend reporting, the categories with active diverse supplier pipelines include:
- Technology and IT services: Software development, application support, cybersecurity consulting, cloud infrastructure services
- Professional and business services: Management consulting, legal services, audit-adjacent advisory, HR and talent services
- Marketing and communications: Creative services, media buying, event management, print, digital marketing agencies
- Facilities and real estate: Building maintenance, construction, janitorial, landscaping, security services at their major campuses (Boston, Smithfield RI, Durham, Cincinnati, Salt Lake City, and others)
- Financial and compliance services: Actuarial services, compliance consulting, research
- Staffing and contingent labor: Diverse staffing agencies supplying contract workers
Technology and professional services are the highest-volume categories at a firm of Fidelity's profile. If your business falls in one of these areas, emphasize domain experience in financial services or highly regulated environments.
Practical tips for getting traction
Get your Ariba profile right before anything else. Fidelity's sourcing managers run keyword and NAICS searches before they ever look at an email. A weak Ariba profile kills opportunities you never knew existed. Use the exact NAICS codes for your primary services, list your certifications, and write a clear capability summary — two to three sentences describing what you do, who you've done it for, and at what contract size.
Submit the diverse supplier intake form directly. Most Fortune 500 supplier diversity pages have a contact form that goes to an actual human on the supplier diversity team, not general procurement. Fidelity's does. Submit it with a one-page capability statement attached. Keep the capability statement to one page: legal name, CAGE code if applicable, certifications with issuing body and expiration, NAICS codes, three to five past clients (industry and contract size, not necessarily names if NDAs apply), and contact information.
Show up at NMSDC. Fidelity attends the NMSDC Annual Conference, typically held in October. This is the single most productive in-person event for MBE suppliers pursuing large financial services firms. Fidelity procurement and supplier diversity staff are generally present. The conference also runs a Business Opportunity Exchange where certified MBEs can schedule one-on-one meetings with corporate members. Register for those sessions early — slots fill weeks before the conference.
WEConnect International Global Summit is the parallel event for WBEs. Fidelity has had representation there as well given their WEConnect membership.
NGLCC National Business and Leadership Conference is the primary event for LGBTBE suppliers. Fidelity has participated given their stated LGBTBE commitment.
Follow their actual RFP process. Fidelity issues RFPs and RFIs through Ariba. You will not receive these unless you are registered and categorized correctly. Some RFPs are also posted on their supplier portal. Check both. When you receive an RFP, read the scope carefully — Fidelity's procurement team writes detailed scopes, and a response that does not address the exact requirements reads as a template response. If you are unclear on scope, use the official Q&A window rather than emailing the sourcing contact directly.
Build a relationship before the RFP. The supplier diversity team can flag your company to category managers, but they do not make sourcing decisions. Your goal in early conversations is to get an introduction to the relevant category manager, not to close a contract. That takes time — typically one to two conference cycles.
Realistic timeline and what to expect
Getting from initial registration to a paid contract with Fidelity typically takes 12 to 24 months for a new supplier with no prior relationship. This is not unusual for a financial services firm with strict vendor risk management requirements.
The practical sequence: registration and certification upload (week one), direct outreach via the supplier diversity form (weeks two to four), attend an NMSDC or WEConnect event to meet procurement staff in person (months three to twelve depending on conference timing), get introduced to a category manager (months six to eighteen), get added to a sourcing event or RFP list (months twelve to twenty-four).
Fidelity also runs a vendor due diligence process for any supplier reaching contract stage. Expect requests for your SOC 2 report (for technology vendors), proof of insurance, financial statements, and references. Start gathering these documents now rather than when you get an RFP.
One more practical note: Fidelity is a privately held company. That means their procurement decisions are not subject to public disclosure requirements the way government contracts are. You will not find a public contract database to benchmark against. The NMSDC relationship and conference presence are your best intelligence sources on what they are actively buying.
The firms that win Fidelity contracts have usually been in their system for at least a year, have met procurement staff in person, and responded to at least one formal sourcing event before winning work. Build the relationship before you need the contract.
