Why does supplier diversity matter?
We believe that developing and sustaining relationships with diverse suppliers is important. Providing opportunities for traditionally underrepresented businesses in our procurement efforts, where possible, can add value for our policyholders and the communities where our policyholders, employees and agents live and work.
In addition to building direct relationships between Farmers® and diverse businesses, we seek suppliers that share our values and commitment, and towards that effort we ask our suppliers about their practices in promoting diversity and inclusion, including their use of diverse suppliers.
While supplier diversity seeks to ensure a level playing field in our procurement practices, the decision to award business to a diverse supplier is based on their ability to provide the product or service that best meets our business requirements.
What is a diverse supplier?
A business qualifies as diverse when it is at least 51%-owned, operated and controlled by an individual or group that is part of a traditionally underrepresented or underserved community:
- Minority-owned businesses
- Women-owned businesses
- Veteran-owned businesses
- Businesses owned by members of the LGBTQ+ Community
- Businesses owned by people with disabilities
What are our supplier diversity certification requirements?
Suppliers interested in participating in Farmers’ supplier diversity program must be a certified diverse company. There are numerous certifying agencies, each having a focus on a particular minority group. Farmers accepts certification from the following third parties:
Why do we require third-party certification?
We require third-party certification because these agencies have developed a vetting process to ensure that a company is owned and operated by one of the designated traditionally underrepresented or underserved communities. Additional benefits of diversity certification with a third-party organization include business networking opportunities. Most certification programs are designed to strategically match diverse suppliers with buyers and decision makers within member corporations. Matches are based on products and services that corporate representatives are interested in and/or procure regularly.
How do we know you have completed third-party certification?
Farmers is working with Supplier.IO to access its database of certified diverse suppliers. The Supplier.IO database is used by Farmers and many other companies when seeking qualified diverse suppliers to consider when sourcing products and services.
If you are a diverse business owner and would like to make information on your company available to Farmers and other companies that access Supplier.IO’s database, register as a supplier with Supplier.IO. There is no cost to register with Supplier.IO.
Once your company successfully creates a profile, the information provided will be made available to the Farmers Sourcing and Procurement team. Please note: submitting information to Supplier.IO is not a guarantee that Farmers will engage a supplier or provide the opportunity to submit proposals. Rather, it can help improve the possibility of a company being recognized as a prospective supplier of products and/or services.
“Including diverse suppliers in our sourcing process promotes innovation through the introduction of new goods, services, and solutions while at the same time supports the communities in which our policyholders and employees live and work. It can help foster competition between our existing and potential suppliers which creates a winning environment for Farmers and a more inclusive supply base.”
-- Brad Dunn, Head of Strategic Sourcing & Procurement