While we create opportunities for more diverse-owned companies to do business with UMass, we also look to the University's strategic partners and largest suppliers to collaborate with us on this vision towards greater economic and social impact, especially in the communities where we operate. Our Tier 2 Program allows us to extend our diversity initiatives across a broader value chain by working with UMass's prime Tier 1 suppliers to increase diverse spend. Tier 2 diverse spend is therefore your company's own direct and/or indirect spend with diverse suppliers.
If you are an existing UMass supplier interested in diversifying your supplier base and reporting your diverse spend to UMass, we invite you to participate in our Tier 2 Program by emailing A&FSupport@umassp.edu. Whether you are a long-standing or new UMass supplier, sharing the same values with our University is important to us, and one way to demonstrate this is by investing in your own company's supplier diversity.
UMass partners with LNWestgate and NectariQ to collect and enrich our suppliers' Tier 2 spend information confidentially each quarter. In order for your company's diverse spend to be counted in our Tier 2 Program, you will need to report spend via NectariQ’s UMass supplier portal.
With a profile on NectariQ, your company will also be able to showcase its capabilities and stay informed with a tailored feed of relevant updates, RFPs, and events based on your business category and geographic footprint, so you never miss a connection or opportunity.
Tier 2 Success Story
Consider this - if two industry-dominant, long-standing IT suppliers can adapt to successfully align commercial and social values, we believe there must be many more opportunities like this out there for increasing diverse spend with and across our supplier base.
As part of UMass’s IT Value Added Reseller (VAR) Program that launched in FY 2022, two of the four VARs that were awarded contracts were selected in part for their commitments to supplier diversity. CDW and Connection each committed to achieving at least 20% Tier 2 spend with their own set of diverse suppliers, with a focus on prioritizing women- and black/brown-owned businesses based in New England and the Commonwealth.
Since the program's inception and in just two years, we've already seen their reported Tier 2 diverse spend reach 15.2%!
Tier 2 Program Participation
Getting Started
To participate in UMass’s Tier 2 Program, email us at A&FSupport@umassp.edu with subject line "Supplier Diversity Program” to kick off the onboarding process. We'll share more information, answer any questions you have, and send you a NectariQ registration link. Their team will provide setup instructions and be able to assist with any portal or reporting questions you may have.
Quarterly Reporting
LNWestgate and NectariQ will reach out to your company’s Tier 2 points of contact each quarter to report your diverse spend for UMass on the previous quarter. For Tier 2 reporting in NectariQ, you will need to already have your company’s spend enriched with industry-standard diversity classifications.
Please find the list of certifications that UMass tracks on the Supplier Diversity Program webpage. However, you do NOT need to customize your diverse spend file for UMass, especially if you are reporting on behalf of multiple customers; NectariQ’s platform will tailor its report for UMass based on our diverse spend qualification rules.
Your Participation Matters
Whether or not you have a contractual commitment to meet and report Tier 2 diverse spend with UMass, we invite and recognize all Tier 1 suppliers who participate in this collective effort to make a positive impact with our spend. Email us at A&FSupport@umassp.edu to get started.