Supplier Diversity Information
USDP Core Values
About Us
USDP Mission
To expand enrollment and participation of small/minority businesses on University contracts, by facilitating the opportunity for said businesses to provide valuable, quality, timely goods and services, while building mutually beneficial, respectful, lasting business relationships with the University community.
USDP Policy Statement
The University of Connecticut is committed to providing a professionally inclusive environment within which small/minority businesses are encouraged to participate in the procurement experience, as they are afforded equal access to the bid process that transfers goods and services to the campus communities.
News & Events
Eddie H. Jackson Supplier Diversity Award
The Eddie H. Jackson Supplier Diversity Award recognizes institutions or individuals who have made outstanding contributions to supplier diversity and inclusion initiatives on their campuses and in higher education procurement.
UConn Honored for Policies, Programs Ensuring Diversity Among Suppliers
UConn is being honored for its commitment to economic inclusion in ensuring that companies operated by members of underrepresented populations receive adequate access and information to compete for University contracts.
UConn is one of nine institutions nationwide to receive the inaugural Jesse L. Moore 2021 Supplier Diversity Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and only print publication focusing on diversity and inclusion in higher education. Read More on UConn Today
UConn Emphasizes Economic Inclusion in Mission of Ensuring Diversity and Equity
Stephanie Reitz – UConn Communications
Supplier diversity is critical to UConn and the state of Connecticut and UConn has a demonstrated commitment to economic inclusion in contracting for goods and services. To measure an institution’s commitment to diversity and equity, it’s not enough to boast about student enrollment figures, employee hiring statistics, and academic curricula that demonstrate inclusion of underrepresented populations.
Read more from UConn Today
GNEMSDC 2020 Business Opportunity Conference Interview
GNEMSDC 2020 Business Opportunity Conference Interview: “Pivoting in a Post-COVID World”: http://gnemsdc.org/2020-business-opportunity-conference-oct-20-22/
2020 Connecticut Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) Webinar
2020 Connecticut Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) Webinar: How to Do Business with the University of Connecticut: https://ctptac.org/event/ctptac-uconn-webinar-how-to-do-business-with-the-university-of-connecticut/
USDP Team Represents UConn at 2019 Annual GNEMSDC Expo and Conference
The USDP Team consisting of Veronica F. Cook, Executive Program Director (right) and Victoria H. Novak, Administrative Services Specialist II (left) proudly represented the University of Connecticut and UConn Health at this year’s Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council (GNEMSDC) Annual Expo and Conference, held at MGM Springfield in Springfield, Massachusetts.
This annual signature event was attended by a diverse gathering of GNEMSDC Corporate Members, Sponsors, and MBE’s from the six (6) New England States: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, as well as California
The USDP’s Latest U-Diversity Initiative
eLearning – “Embracing Supplier Diversity at UConn”
The USDP has developed an e-learning course to inform our communities about the University’s commitment and expectations regarding supplier diversity and inclusion on our UConn campuses and at UConn Health.
It is intended that through the course, you will come to understand the importance of partnering with the USDP efforts to increase S/MBE participation in our procurement processes.
UBS Leads the Way…Congratulations to Our Partnership Mug Recipients!
In partnership with our entire UBS Team, the USDP mission is to increase the participation of small and minority businesses (S/MBE’s) on our UConn contracts. Our joint efforts to be most inclusive in our Procurement processes is the key to our successfully achieving our mission.
To demonstrate UBS’s commitment to leading the way in partnering with the USDP, 33 UBS staff members completed the USDP e-Learning Course now available on SABA.
Nine (9) of the first 10 (aside from the USDP team) to successfully complete the course are pictured here:
Allison Hestick, BJ Pavonka, Cesar Alonzo, Dennis Sienna, Kimberly O’Connor, Laurie Lanka, Luong Chiem, Nancy Patrylak, and Walter Dalia. Not pictured here is Laurie Field.