George Washington University
OP-15: Inclusive and Local Purchasing

In lieu of attaching a file above outlining our policy, which is outlined below here, a fiscal year spend summary was uploaded to document and verify the percentage of the university's total purchases from disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local community-based businesses requested in separate query field below. Per GW's Standard Terms & Conditions (for supplier contracts): Section C5. Supplier Diversity Initiative Program (MBE/WBE). The University voluntarily maintains a Supplier Diversity Initiative Program as part of its efforts to increase participation of minority and women vendors (MBE/WBE). GW seeks to achieve this goal through primary and second-tier suppliers. All primary suppliers must submit a plan with their bids, indicating how they intend to use minority and women vendors as their second-tier suppliers. Each plan will be evaluated based on good-faith efforts and will consider the following factors: -- Availability of minority/women vendors who can supply the goods and services requested in the bid documents -- Competitiveness of the prospective second-tier suppliers. The use of local minority and women-owned businesses strengthens our commitment to the local community. In all cases, however, it is expected that the vendors meet the criteria relating to price, service, and delivery. Supplier diversity will be one, but not the sole, consideration in all contract awards. Ultimately it will be left to the discretion of the primary supplier as to which second-tier suppliers it uses. When a contract is awarded, the supplier is required to maintain its second-tier effort and to submit monthly reports on its progress.

GW tracks diversity and local spend via Tableau. A copy of the spend analysis for the last three fiscal years is attached. GW recognizes the SBA categorization of businesses, as well as the Certified business categories as established by the District of Columbia, State of Maryland and Commonwealth of Virginia. Moving forward, the President's Council on Diversity and Inclusion will evaluate the university's existing contracts with local, underrepresented communities within the District. Based on findings, which are anticipated to be fairly limited, an intentional action will be undertaken to increase the numbers of minority and women-owned businesses located within and supporting low-income areas.