Fifth Third Bancorp is one of the larger regional banks in the United States, with roughly $9 billion in annual revenue and operations concentrated in the Midwest and Southeast. Headquarters are in Cincinnati. The bank has a long-standing supplier diversity program with formal ties to both NMSDC and WBENC, and its procurement footprint spans IT, facilities, marketing, financial services, and professional consulting.
If you own a minority-, women-, veteran-, or disability-owned business and want to do business with a major bank that has publicly committed to diverse spend, Fifth Third is worth pursuing. This guide covers exactly how to get in front of their procurement team.
What Fifth Third Bancorp buys from outside suppliers
Fifth Third operates like any large financial institution: the bank handles core banking functions internally, but contracts out a wide range of goods and services. Major procurement categories include:
Technology and IT services. Software development, cybersecurity, data analytics, infrastructure support, and managed services. Banks are among the heaviest IT spenders of any industry.
Facilities and real estate. Construction, renovation, janitorial, landscaping, security, and property management for their branch network and corporate offices.
Professional services. Consulting, legal, accounting, audit support, and project management.
Marketing and creative. Advertising, design, print production, digital marketing, market research, and event management.
HR and staffing. Temporary staffing, benefits administration, training, and executive recruitment.
Logistics and office supplies. Printing, courier services, document management, and corporate supplies.
The bank has a heavy presence in Cincinnati, Chicago, Detroit, Columbus, Indianapolis, Louisville, and Nashville. Suppliers in those markets with local relationships tend to move faster through the pipeline.
How to register as a Fifth Third supplier
Fifth Third manages supplier registration through a dedicated supplier portal, branded as the Fifth Third Supplier Diversity portal. To find the current registration link, search "Fifth Third Bancorp supplier registration" or navigate to the corporate section of fifththird.com and look for Supplier Diversity under the About or Corporate Responsibility navigation.
When you register, expect to provide:
- Business legal name, address, and contact information
- Tax identification number (EIN)
- Business structure (LLC, corporation, sole proprietor)
- NAICS codes describing your primary services
- Ownership demographics (to flag diverse ownership)
- Diversity certification numbers and issuing organizations, if applicable
- A brief capability statement or company description
- References or past clients, particularly any Fortune 500 or financial services experience
Fifth Third uses a third-party vendor management system to collect and track supplier information, which is standard practice at banks of this size. Your profile sits in a searchable database that procurement managers pull from when sourcing bids. Complete profiles with accurate NAICS codes and clear service descriptions rank better in internal searches.
Which certifications carry the most weight
Fifth Third Bancorp's program is aligned with two national certification bodies: NMSDC and WBENC.
NMSDC certification (Minority Business Enterprise, or MBE) is the primary credential for minority-owned businesses. Fifth Third is a corporate member of the Midwest MSDBC, the regional NMSDC affiliate covering the core Midwest markets where the bank operates. An NMSDC/MBE certification issued through Midwest MSDBC or any other NMSDC regional affiliate is fully recognized.
WBENC certification (Women's Business Enterprise) covers women-owned businesses. Fifth Third recognizes WBENC certification directly. If you are pursuing a WBENC cert and are in the Midwest, the regional partner is the Women's Business Enterprise Council Great Lakes (WBEC Great Lakes).
Veteran-owned certifications (SBA SDVOSB, VA CVE, or NaVOBA VBE) and disability-owned certifications (Disability:IN DOBE) are worth adding to your profile, but the primary diversity spend tracking at most large banks centers on MBE and WBE spend, since those are the categories where procurement teams report progress to their boards and industry peers.
If you are not yet certified, you can still register as a supplier. But without a recognized certification, you will not be counted toward the bank's diverse spend goals, which weakens your positioning when procurement has to choose between two capable vendors at similar price points.
How diverse certification status affects your chances
Large banks publish diverse spend commitments publicly because institutional investors and regulators track them. Fifth Third has reported diverse spend metrics as part of its ESG disclosures. That creates a structural incentive for procurement managers to choose certified diverse suppliers when quality and price are comparable.
In practice, certification status affects you in two concrete ways. First, procurement managers searching for suppliers often filter by certified diverse status when filling a bid slate. If you are not certified, you may not appear in that search. Second, deals with certified diverse suppliers help the bank hit published spend targets, so there is internal pressure to route spend toward certified vendors in competitive categories.
None of this means certification guarantees a contract. You still need to be competitively priced, have relevant references, and be able to meet the bank's compliance and insurance requirements. Certification gets you to the table; your capability closes the deal.
Getting your first order
The path from registration to first purchase order at a large bank is rarely a straight line. A few things accelerate it.
Target the right entry point. Marketing, facilities, and staffing tend to have shorter procurement cycles and lower compliance barriers than IT or financial services contracts. If your service fits one of those categories, lead with it.
Attend Fifth Third-sponsored supplier diversity events. The bank participates in NMSDC and WBENC conferences and regional matchmaking events hosted by Midwest MSDBC. These events put you directly in front of the procurement team in a context designed for introductions. Show up prepared with a one-page capability statement and three specific examples of past work.
Go through the regional NMSDC affiliate. Midwest MSDBC runs matchmaking programs, capacity-building workshops, and direct introductions between corporate members and certified MBEs. Fifth Third's participation in this affiliate means the supplier diversity team is accessible through that channel even outside of formal RFP processes.
Follow up after registration. Submitting a profile is not enough. Send a brief, direct email to the supplier diversity team introducing your company and asking whether your capabilities match any active or upcoming needs. Keep it short and specific. Mention your certification, your relevant experience, and a single clear service category.
Get a reference from inside the bank's supply chain. If you know any existing Fifth Third suppliers, ask for an internal introduction. Warm referrals move faster than cold portal submissions in any procurement environment.
Who manages supplier diversity at Fifth Third
The supplier diversity function sits within the procurement or sourcing organization. The team is typically led by a Director or Vice President of Supplier Diversity, with support from program managers who handle certification verification, reporting, and matchmaking. You will not find a direct email on the public website, but the team is reachable through the NMSDC/Midwest MSDBC relationship, through the WBENC network, and through formal inquiry via the supplier portal.
For immediate introductions, attending a Fifth Third-sponsored matchmaking event or reaching out through Midwest MSDBC is the fastest path to a real conversation.
Supplier development programs and events
Fifth Third participates in external programming more than it runs standalone development initiatives. Their primary touchpoints with diverse suppliers are:
NMSDC national conference and Midwest MSDBC regional events. These are the most reliable annual opportunities to meet the procurement team and pitch directly.
WBENC national conference and regional summits. WBEC Great Lakes hosts regional events where Fifth Third participates.
Matchmaking sessions. Both NMSDC affiliates and WBENC regional councils run structured one-on-one matchmaking sessions with their corporate members. Fifth Third typically participates in the Midwest MSDBC matchmaking calendar.
If you are not yet a member of the regional NMSDC or WBENC council, consider it. Membership gives you access to the matchmaking infrastructure that connects you to corporate members like Fifth Third. The annual cost is modest relative to the access it provides.
What to do this week
Register in the Fifth Third supplier portal. Get your NMSDC or WBENC certification in progress if you have not already. Connect with Midwest MSDBC if you are in the bank's core markets. Then put the next regional matchmaking event on your calendar and show up ready to make a specific ask.
The registration alone does not get you a contract, but it puts you in the system. Every purchase order at a bank like Fifth Third starts with a supplier record that exists somewhere in procurement's database. Make sure yours is there and that it is complete.
