Objective

HILL for Literacy is committed to its core values of education, inclusion, equity, and supporting its communities, including the diverse expertise and talent within those communities. We work with suppliers that represent our communities and trust us to be a good member of those communities. By attracting and retaining a diverse pool of qualified suppliers, strengthening diverse suppliers in proximity to where HILL for Literacy conducts business, we will achieve our objective of creating and sustaining an inclusive and diverse Supplier Diversity Program (SDP).

 

Definitions

HILL for Literacy defines a “Diverse Supplier” as a business that provides materials, goods, and/or services to HILL for Literacy (including contractors, subcontractors, vendors, and consultants) and is certified or recognized by a state and/or federal supplier diversity management program or authority, or the Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office (SDO). The SDO’s mission is to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in state contracting for businesses owned by minorities, women, Portuguese, veterans, service-disabled veterans, those with a disability, and LGBT individuals, as well as small Massachusetts businesses. HILL for Literacy commits to making a significant financial commitment, represented as a percentage of contract sales, to partnering with one or more SDO-certified or recognized diverse business enterprise(s) or non-profit organization(s).

 

Eligible SDP Partner Certification Categories

HILL for Literacy commits too partnering with business enterprises and/or non-profit organizations certified or recognized by the SDO in one or more of the following certification categories:

• Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE)
• Minority Non-Profit Organization (M/NPO)
• Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE)
• Women Non-Profit Organization (W/NPO)
• Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise (VBE)
• Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise (SDVOBE)
• Disability-Owned Business Enterprise (DOBE)
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Business Enterprise (LBGTBE)

 

Key Principles

HILL for Literacy advocates for attracting and retaining a diverse pool of qualified suppliers and uphold the following key principles:

• We recognize that a strong, diverse supplier community is essential to economic vitality, and we actively seek opportunities to conduct business with a competitive, diverse set of suppliers.
• We support policies and practices that promote fairness and inclusion. Our Supplier Diversity Program is part of our overall Diversity & Inclusion efforts.
• We foster collaborative supplier relationships designed to strengthen our communities and the diverse-owned businesses within it. Our SDP will reflect the communities where we operate.