John Fitzpatrick

Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office

The Supplier Diversity Office (SDO) certifies diverse businesses and also manages several business programs that help enhance the marketability of small and diverse businesses when they bid on public contracts. The SDO's goals are to increase opportunities for certified businesses and Small Business Purchasing Program (SBPP) participants through annual state agency spending benchmarks and include bid evaluation criteria within the state goods and services bid process. The SDO also provides public access to the certified business lists on the SDO web pages and distributes business opportunity events and notices to SDO participants. The Supplier Diversity Office (SDO) has a long tradition of service to minority and women owned businesses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The SDO is responsible for conducting investigations of certification applications from businesses that meet certain criteria. The SDO currently certifies certain diverse business categories (Minority (MBE), Women (WBE), Portuguese (PBE) and Veteran (VBE) businesses) inhouse and has agreements with third-party organizations that certify these same categories and others that certify other business categories (Service-Disabled Veteran (SDVOBE), Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBTBE) and Disability-Owned (DOBE) businesses), all of which must meet certain certification criteria. SDO certification is a marketing tool used to enhance a firm's ability to do business in public and private markets. Although certification does not guarantee that a business will be successful every time it bids, it may add a competitive edge to firms seeking contracts with the government.