COMPREHENSIVE EQUITABLE PURCHASING TARGETS BY 2022
Procurement comprises a significant portion of UW’s spending. With its purchasing decisions UW can endorse suppliers who are practicing sustainability; we aspire to have 100% of them aligned with our Supplier Code of Conduct. We are quickly working to incorporate students’ voices in purchasing decisions. As we work with campus units and departments to develop equitable purchasing targets, we will follow the state’s goals for minority- women- and veteran-owned businesses under the Results Washington strategic framework.
Status updates
FY 2022 progress
Target actions for 2022
- Campus awareness related to supplier diversity
- Implement a Supplier Code of Conduct
The UW was recognized for its efforts with the 2022 Jesse L. Moore Supplier Diversity Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education. This award is a national recognition honoring colleges and universities that take proactive steps to support and engage with minority-owned businesses through supplier diversity offices, unique programs, and leading initiatives. The 10 recipients were selected by INSIGHT Into Diversity based on their efforts to engage and retain suppliers from underrepresented groups.
Over the past year, Procurement Services developed a Supplier Diversity Guide, including information about the importance of using diverse suppliers as well as tools to locate suppliers. The guide was used in presentations to several UW departments, and will be used during future campus outreach visits. In February 2022, Procurement Services also hosted a forum for campus departments where information on supplier diversity was presented. The office is also in the process of developing a Supplier Diversity Training for University employees, in partnership with the State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises.
Procurement Services utilized student internships to help promote supplier diversity efforts. Students completed a proposal to implement a Supplier Diversity Pledge, began tracking Supplier Code of Conduct acceptance, and researched small, local, and diverse caterers to expand the pool of companies approved for use by campus departments.
Previous status reports
Target metrics
Metrics tracking the progress toward this target will be posted here when available.