Nationwide Insurance is one of the largest insurance and financial services companies in the United States, with $47 billion-plus in annual revenue and headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. It operates a formal supplier diversity program tied directly to its procurement function, with stated commitments to sourcing from minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, and other certified diverse businesses.
This guide covers what that program actually looks like, where to register, what they buy, and how to get in front of the right people.
Nationwide's supplier diversity program
Nationwide calls its effort the Supplier Diversity Program, administered through its corporate procurement and sourcing team. The company has been a longtime member of both the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) and the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the two largest third-party certification bodies for corporate supplier diversity in the country.
Nationwide participates in regional affiliate councils under NMSDC, particularly through the Ohio River Valley MSDC given its Columbus base. It also engages with the Women's Business Enterprise Alliance and other regional WBECs for WBE-certified suppliers.
Nationwide has not publicly disclosed a specific annual diverse spend target as of the most recent reporting, but the company participates in WBENC's annual survey and reporting cycle, which requires member corporations to track and report Tier 1 and Tier 2 diverse spend. That reporting requirement creates an internal incentive to actively source from certified suppliers.
Certifications Nationwide recognizes
Nationwide accepts certifications from established third-party bodies. The recognized categories include:
- MBE (Minority Business Enterprise) — certified by NMSDC regional affiliates
- WBE (Women's Business Enterprise) — certified by WBENC or its regional affiliates
- SDVOSB (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business) — verified through the VA's CVE (Center for Verification and Evaluation) or SBA's VetCert program
- VOSB (Veteran-Owned Small Business) — same verification bodies
- LGBTBE (LGBT Business Enterprise) — certified by NGLCC (National LGBT Chamber of Commerce)
- DOBE (Disability-Owned Business Enterprise) — certified by Disability:IN
- SBE (Small Business Enterprise) — self-certification or state-level verification in some cases
The most weight goes to NMSDC and WBENC certifications because Nationwide is a dues-paying member of both councils, which creates direct sourcing pipelines and accountability metrics around those categories.
If you are pursuing federal certifications like 8(a) or HUBZone for government contracting separately, those credentials can reinforce your credibility but are not Nationwide's primary intake mechanism for corporate procurement.
Where to register
Nationwide uses Jaggaer (formerly SciQuest) as its supplier management and sourcing platform. The registration portal is accessible through Nationwide's corporate website under the Procurement or Supplier Diversity section.
To register:
- Go to nationwide.com and search "supplier diversity" or navigate to the corporate responsibility section.
- Follow the link to the supplier registration portal, which routes to Jaggaer's hosted supplier profile interface.
- Complete your company profile: legal business name, DUNS/SAM UEI number, NAICS codes, certifications (upload certificates), capabilities, and diversity classification.
- Specify the product or service categories you support using their taxonomy.
Keep your profile current. Nationwide's sourcing managers run searches against the database when building bid lists. An outdated profile, or one missing your certification documents, means you will not appear in filtered searches for diverse suppliers.
If you already have a profile in Jaggaer from another corporate client, much of the data carries over, but you still need to register specifically within Nationwide's instance.
Product and service categories they source
Nationwide's supplier diversity program has historically concentrated on four broad sourcing areas:
Information technology. Software development, cybersecurity, cloud services, IT staffing, infrastructure management, and data analytics. Nationwide is one of the larger insurance IT spenders in the Midwest, with significant investment in claims processing platforms and digital customer experience.
Claims services. Auto appraisal, property inspection, restoration contractors, medical case management, and legal services tied to claims resolution. This is a high-volume sourcing category because claims operations run 24/7 and require national and regional vendor coverage.
Marketing and communications. Advertising agencies, digital marketing, creative production, print, and media buying. Nationwide spends on brand campaigns at scale, which creates work for diverse agencies and production companies.
Professional services. Management consulting, HR and benefits administration, legal, accounting, and staffing. These categories are active across the enterprise, not just in one division.
Facilities, food services, and logistics are lower-priority categories for diverse sourcing at Nationwide compared to the four above. If your business falls outside those verticals, registration still makes sense, but your near-term pipeline probability is lower.
Industry events and how to get a meeting
Nationwide's supplier diversity team attends specific events where you can make direct contact.
NMSDC Annual Conference — held each October, this is the flagship event for MBE-corporate matchmaking. Nationwide typically sends procurement representatives and sponsors business opportunity fairs where you can schedule one-on-one meetings. Register for the business opportunity fair early; slots fill.
WBENC National Conference and Business Fair — held each June, this is the primary WBE matchmaking forum. Nationwide participates as a corporate member. The pre-scheduled meeting format at the Business Fair is the highest-leverage touchpoint for WBEs.
Ohio River Valley MSDC events — because Nationwide is headquartered in Columbus, regional MSDC events carry disproportionate weight. Attend the local business opportunity fairs and networking events. The Columbus market is where Nationwide's procurement staff are based, and local relationships move faster than national ones.
Disability:IN Annual Conference — held each July, Nationwide has engaged here as its DOBE sourcing has expanded.
To get a meeting outside of formal events:
Find the name of Nationwide's Supplier Diversity Director or Manager through LinkedIn or the Ohio River Valley MSDC member directory. Send a direct message referencing your certification, your specific capabilities, and one concrete problem you solve in their sourcing categories. Do not send a generic introduction. Two sentences on what you do and why it maps to their needs gets more responses than a capabilities deck.
If you are already in the Jaggaer portal with a complete profile, mention that in your outreach. It removes friction and signals you are serious about the process.
Realistic timeline and first steps
Getting from registration to a contract with Nationwide takes six to eighteen months for most first-time diverse suppliers. That range depends on your category, your readiness, and whether a sourcing event creates an opening.
Here is a workable sequence:
Month 1. Get certified if you are not already. NMSDC MBE certification through Ohio River Valley MSDC takes 60 to 90 days with a complete application. WBENC WBE certification takes similar time. Start this in parallel with everything else.
Month 1–2. Complete your Jaggaer supplier profile on Nationwide's portal. Include your certification documents, three to five capability statements tied to their sourcing categories, and at least two references from comparable corporate or government clients.
Month 2–3. Identify the nearest upcoming Ohio River Valley MSDC event or WBENC regional event. Register and attend. Bring a one-page capabilities brief, not a full pitch deck.
Month 3–6. Send a direct outreach to Nationwide's supplier diversity contact after the event, or cold if you could not attend. Keep it short. Offer a 20-minute call.
Month 6–12. If you get a meeting, prepare for a category review, not a sales pitch. Nationwide's sourcing managers are evaluating whether you can perform at their scale, whether you have relevant client references, and whether your pricing is competitive. Bring case studies with measurable outcomes.
Month 12–18. Procurement cycles at insurers move slowly. RFPs often take three to six months from issuance to award. Staying visible through NMSDC and WBENC channels between RFP cycles keeps you on short lists when sourcing managers build bid pools.
One thing worth knowing: Nationwide tracks Tier 2 spend, meaning if you are a subcontractor to one of Nationwide's prime vendors, that spend counts toward their diversity reporting. Approaching prime vendors who supply Nationwide in IT or claims services is a parallel path worth pursuing, especially if you are earlier in your corporate sales journey.
The program is real, the procurement dollars are real, and the path is defined. The work is in showing up at the right events, keeping your registration current, and being specific about what you actually do.
