Supply chain resilience is the intentional use of underutilized businesses in an organization's supply chain to achieve innovation; cost reduction; and revenue growth objectives.

Community stakeholders want to know more about the non-profit organizations they support, and consumers want to know more about the corporate brands that they buy. They see value in attracting untapped innovation as an important business strategy to:

1. Generate innovative products and services
2. Increase competition
3. Build economic growth in communities where they operate.

WCS is committed to making supply chain resilience an integral part of the way we do business. We seek to identify and encourage underutilized vendors to compete for business opportunities throughout WCS. Our commitment to supply chain resilience includes:

1. Building relationships with underutilized suppliers in the communities where we operate.
2. Encouraging suppliers that are awarded contracts to extend business partnership opportunities to underutilized suppliers.
3. Promoting the different types of certifications to all businesses.

We promote the extended growth of our pool of suppliers through the following processes:

1. Identifying procurement opportunities.
2. Identifying underutilized suppliers in WCS's Supply Resilience Database (SCRD) to participate in upcoming procurement opportunities.
3. Determining whether a match exists between the capabilities of underutilized suppliers in the SCRD and an identified business opportunity.
4. Regularly conducting "How to do Business with WCS" workshops.
5. Encouraging identified suppliers to participate in WCS's procurement process.

A certified underutilized supplier can clearly demonstrate that their business is at least 51% owned, operated, and managed by a person or group of members by presenting a verifying certificate issued by an independent certifying government agency, quasi-government or non-governmental-organization (NGO). Independent government certifications typically certify entities as Minority/Women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs). For example, New York City offers NYC Small Business Services M/WBE Certification and separately New York State provides(NYS MWBE certification). The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey certifies vendors under its quasi-government MWBE program. Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certification can be obtained by Federal or State agencies for minorities or women-owned businesses, or other socially and economically disadvantaged individuals such as persons with disabilities.

In the private sector, various assist corporate brands by also certifying various businesses. Within this group, we acknowledge certifications from the following: National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), Women's Business Enterprise National Council(WBENC), National LGBT Chamber of Commerce(NGLCC), United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCCC), National Veteran Owned Business Association (NaVOBA), Disability:In, the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce(USPAACC ), and United States Department of Transportation Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program. Globally, diverse certifications are issued to vendors by Minority Supplier Development China (MSD China), MSDUK, Supply Nation (Australia) and IWSCC (Cannda). WCS recognizes the diverse certifications from all referenced entities.

WCS obtains funding from federal, state and local agencies, which often require the use of Minority-owned/Women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs). These certificates enable us to accurately show evidence that suppliers were vetted and verified. In addition, our supply chain resilience initiative demonstrates our commitment to our supply chain and tracking our progress.

No. While certification is not required to do business with WCS, we encourage underutilized suppliers to become certified with any of the certification organizations.

WCS relies on the SCRD, its free newly-developed online business-to-business tool, to identify, distinguish, and utilize certified Small Business Enterprise (SBE); Disabled Veteran-owned Business Enterprise (DVBE); Minority-owned Business Enterprises (MBEs); Women-owned Business Enterprises (WBEs), Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender-owned Business Enterprises (LGBTBEs) and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs). This feature will aid us greatly in required reports to federal, state, and city agencies. Further, this system will facilitate strategic partnerships among certified underutilized vendors and existing prime vendors for capacity building and second-tier opportunities with underutilized subcontractors. Our online system allows us to engage with underutilized suppliers in a more efficient way. You can register here.

Our Supplier Chain Resilience program is designed to help underutilized vendors build capacity. When a registered underutilized supplier informs WCS of a potential contract opportunity for a specific product or service, WCS will facilitate the identification of other registered underutilized suppliers in our SCRD. However, these registered suppliers must provide WCS with consent before any other supplier can view its Company Profile. This is just one example of how SCRD facilitates capacity building.

You must first register your company's information in our database.You can register here.

No. There is no fee associated with being a registered supplier in the SCRD.

Suppliers are not required to provide any individual's personal information when registering in the SCRD. The general information that SCRD requests include, but is not limited to, the following:

1. Business contact information
2. Third-party certification information
3. Core business experience

No. Once a supplier completes its SCRD registration, this information becomes the supplier's SCRD Company Profile. A registered supplier's SCRD Company Profile will be accessible to WCS personnel, and upon the supplier's consent in each case, to other SCRD-registered suppliers interested in partnering on a contract opportunity. No SCRD Company Profiles will be made publicly available and will only be shared as described in these FAQs.

A registered supplier's Company Profile remains in the SCRD until the SCRD-registered supplier decides to terminate its participation in the SCRD (either upon the supplier's request to be removed from the SCRD or a supplier's failure to upload evidence of any required third-party certification by a set due date). Upon such termination of participation, the supplier's Company Profile will be removed from the SCRD.

WCS's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy apply to all users of the SCRD.

WCS does not endorse any supplier registered in the SCRD, nor has WCS taken any steps to verify any information submitted by a supplier in the SCRD registration phase. WCS's identification of a registered underutilized supplier for a requesting supplier is not a substitute for the requesting supplier's own due diligence process. Further, a supplier's registration in the SCRD does not guarantee a contract between the supplier and WCS or another supplier, or the payment of any amount to the supplier by WCS or another supplier.

If you have any additional inquiries that were not listed here, you can reach out to SCRPROGRAM@wcs.org