Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp) is the second-largest clinical laboratory company in the United States, with roughly $12 billion in annual revenue. Headquartered in Burlington, North Carolina, it operates two major business segments: Diagnostics, which processes over 600,000 specimens per day, and Drug Development Services (formerly Covance), which runs clinical trials and drug development programs for pharmaceutical and biotech clients worldwide. That scale means significant external procurement spend across a wide range of categories.
LabCorp has an active supplier diversity program and participates in NMSDC and WBENC, the two primary certifying organizations for minority-owned and women-owned businesses. Getting registered and certified correctly is the starting point. What you do after registration is what determines whether you actually win business.
What LabCorp buys from external suppliers
LabCorp's procurement needs fall into two broad areas aligned with its business segments.
On the Diagnostics side, the company purchases laboratory supplies and consumables, reagents, specimen containers, medical equipment, lab equipment maintenance and calibration services, information technology, courier and logistics services, facilities management, and professional services including legal, consulting, and staffing.
On the Drug Development Services side, procurement covers clinical trial supplies and logistics, investigator site services, specialized testing equipment, scientific staffing, regulatory consulting, data management technology, and contract research services.
Corporate functions across both segments require marketing and communications services, HR consulting, training, travel management, food and facilities services at its 2,700-plus patient service centers, and general office services.
Small and diverse businesses most frequently enter through services, staffing, technology, marketing, facilities, and logistics categories. These tend to have lower barriers to entry than highly regulated laboratory supply categories, where FDA registrations and validated supply chains are required.
How to register as a LabCorp supplier
LabCorp uses a formal supplier registration process through its Supplier Diversity portal. To find the current registration link, search for "LabCorp Supplier Diversity" or navigate to the corporate website (labcorp.com) and look under the "About" or "Suppliers" section. The program is specifically branded as LabCorp Supplier Diversity.
When you register, expect to provide:
- Legal business name, address, and contact information
- Federal Tax Identification Number (EIN)
- Business structure (LLC, corporation, sole proprietor)
- NAICS codes that describe your products or services
- Annual revenue and number of employees
- Diversity certification status and certification numbers
- References or past performance examples, particularly with healthcare or life sciences clients
- Business capability statement or company description
You will also need to indicate your certification status with NMSDC, WBENC, or other recognized bodies. Do not register without completing this section if you hold any certifications. It is one of the primary filters procurement teams use when sourcing diverse suppliers.
Which certifications LabCorp recognizes
LabCorp participates in NMSDC and WBENC, so those two certifications carry the most weight.
NMSDC certification designates your business as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE). To qualify, 51 percent or more of the business must be owned, operated, and controlled by an ethnic minority who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. NMSDC has a network of regional councils that handle certification. The national organization is headquartered in New York, but your application goes through the regional affiliate that serves your business location.
WBENC certification designates your business as a Women's Business Enterprise (WBE). To qualify, 51 percent or more of the business must be owned, controlled, and operated by one or more women. WBENC certifies through 14 regional partner organizations. The process involves an application, document submission, and a site visit or virtual interview.
Both certifications require renewal annually and involve document verification to confirm ownership and control. Budget approximately $350 to $1,250 per year depending on the certifying body and your revenue tier.
LabCorp may also recognize certifications from the Small Business Administration: the 8(a) Business Development Program, Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), and HUBZone certifications. These carry weight primarily for LabCorp's federal contract work and government-related procurement.
How certification status affects your chances
Having an NMSDC or WBENC certification does not guarantee a contract, but it does get you into the sourcing pool for bids specifically set aside for diverse suppliers. LabCorp, like most large healthcare companies, tracks its diverse supplier spend as a percentage of total spend and reports those numbers to NMSDC and WBENC. Procurement teams and category managers have internal goals tied to those figures.
In practical terms, this means there are sourcing events, requests for proposals, and spot-buy opportunities where diverse suppliers are specifically solicited. Without certification, you are not eligible for those. With certification and an active registration profile, you become visible to buyers who are actively looking to hit their diversity spend targets.
Certification also signals that your ownership structure has been independently verified. For corporate procurement, that matters. It removes a diligence step for the buyer.
Tips for getting your first order
Registration gets you into the system. Relationships move you to the top of a buyer's list.
LabCorp's supplier diversity team participates in NMSDC and WBENC conferences and matchmaking events. Attend these. Bring capability statements and specific examples of work you have done for other healthcare or life sciences clients. If you have no healthcare clients yet, be specific about adjacent industries and why your capabilities transfer.
Request a brief introduction meeting with LabCorp's supplier diversity team after you register. The role that manages this program is typically a Supplier Diversity Manager or Director of Supplier Diversity. Their job is to connect qualified diverse suppliers with internal category managers. They are not the final decision-makers on contracts, but they are the connectors. Treat them as an internal champion you need to earn.
Follow up after conferences. If a LabCorp representative attends an NMSDC or WBENC matchmaking event and you speak with them, send a follow-up email within 48 hours with your capability statement attached. Most diverse businesses do not follow up. That alone puts you in a smaller group.
When you get the opportunity to quote on something, price competitively. LabCorp's procurement teams have incumbent suppliers and internal benchmarks. Coming in with a vague or high quote on your first bid signals that you are not ready to compete.
Supplier development programs and events
LabCorp participates in broader supplier development through its NMSDC and WBENC affiliations. This includes access to national conference matchmaking sessions, capacity-building workshops offered by those organizations, and in some cases, corporate mentorship programs that NMSDC operates at the national level.
Check the NMSDC and WBENC event calendars for matchmaking sessions that list LabCorp as a participating corporate member. These are the highest-leverage touchpoints for getting in front of LabCorp procurement staff before you have an existing relationship.
LabCorp also posts procurement opportunities and supplier news on its corporate website. Subscribe to any supplier diversity newsletter or notification list you can find during the registration process.
What to do this week
If you are serious about becoming a LabCorp supplier, start with three actions. Get your NMSDC or WBENC certification in process if you do not have it yet. Register in the LabCorp supplier portal with a complete and specific capability profile. Identify the next NMSDC or WBENC conference where LabCorp is listed as a participating corporate member and register to attend.
None of these steps guarantee a contract. Combined, they put you in front of the right people at the right time when a sourcing need opens up in your category.
