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.

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News & Events

UConn Honored for Policies, Programs Ensuring Diversity Among Suppliers

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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

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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

USDP Team Represents UConn at 2019 Annual GNEMSDC Expo and Conference

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GNEMSDC
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

USDP Team

The USDP’s Latest U-Diversity Initiative

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Supplier Diversity Training SlideCourse Audience Slide

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.

ELearning Course

UBS Leads the Way…Congratulations to Our Partnership Mug Recipients!

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mugs

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.