Mission Statement
Duke partners with vendors and organizations who share our commitment to diversity. We strengthen our local community by promoting the development of minority, women, veteran, small, disabled and LGBTQ-owned businesses.
Program Overview
The Duke Supplier Diversity Program began as the Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) program in 1984 as recognition that business ownership is a key factor in social and financial security and that minorities and women are underrepresented among business owners.
Creating true equity of access and opportunity must be an active and strategic process. The program has evolved to more closely reflect the broad diversity of our local community and to become more inclusive for the variety of relevant businesses that encounter obstacles to market entry, customer access, and financial growth including minority, women, veteran, small, disabled and LGBTQ-owned businesses.
Program Objectives
- Match diverse suppliers with procurement opportunities
- Track and report relevant purchasing patterns
- Promote the use of diverse suppliers within the Duke community
- Educate suppliers as to Duke's bond, liability, and bid requirements
- Maintain a contact database of diverse suppliers
- Share high performing suppliers with other businesses and organizations
- Ensure that diverse suppliers are included in the competitive bidding process