Supplier Application Process
Diverse suppliers follow the same application process as major suppliers; however, small and diverse suppliers must request certification by the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of Minority Business Enterprises in order to be classified as a small, women- or minority-owned vendor. Small-, women-, and minority-owned businesses are defined by the Commonwealth of Virginia as:
- Small Business – A business that is at least 51 percent independently owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are U.S. citizens or legal resident aliens, and together with affiliates, has 250 or fewer employees, or average annual gross receipts of $10 million or less averaged over the previous three years. One or more of the individual owners controls both the management and daily business operations of the small business.
- Women-owned Business – A business that is at least 51 percent owned by one or more women who are U.S. citizens or legal resident aliens, or in the case of a corporation, partnership, or limited liability company or other entity, at least 51 percent of the equity ownership interest is owned by one or more women who are citizens of the U.S. or legal resident aliens, and both the management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more women.
- Minority-owned Business – A business that is at least 51 percent owned by one or more minority individuals who are U.S. citizens or legal resident aliens, or in the case of a corporation, partnership, or limited liability company or other entity, at least 51 percent of the equity ownership interest in the corporation, partnership, or limited liability company or other entity is owned by one or more minority individuals who are U.S. citizens or legal resident aliens, and both the management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more minority individuals. “Minority individual" means an individual who is a citizen of the U.S. or a legal resident aliens and who satisfies one or more of the following definitions: African America, Asian American, Hispanic American, or Native American.
Vendors interested in conducting business with the University of Richmond are required to complete the New Vendor Enrollment Form. Please contact our Procurement & Strategic Sourcing Office to request the form by sending an email to procurement@richmond.edu.
The email requesting this form must contain your company's full legal name, federal taxpayer identification number, address, description of goods/services, website (if applicable), the company's contact information (contact person name, phone, email), and the name of the University of Richmond employee with whom you will be conducting business (if applicable). Requests will not be fulfilled without this information. Construction contractors must complete the Additional Form for Contractors. Upon receipt of this information, the Procurement office will verify the need for the goods and/or services provided within the University. If a need exists, we will email the New Vendor Enrollment Form to you. If a need does not exist, you will receive an email notification to advise you of this, as well.
Upon approval of the New Vendor Enrollment Form, you will be added to the University’s vendor database and will be eligible to do business with the University. This process is normally completed within five business days of receiving all required documents, if an order is pending. If there is no order pending, the process may take up to 45 business days.
Be advised that your submission of a New Vendor Enrollment Form does not create any obligation on the part of the University of Richmond to engage you as a vendor or to include you on any list of bid recipients.
Suppliers wishing to do business with the University are also strongly encouraged to review the purchasing terms and conditions, the insurance requirements, and the policies and procedures located on OSSP’s website.
