Supplier Diversity

Our goals are defined as follows:

• To increase the amount of goods and services acquired by the university from businesses owned and controlled by diverse persons to 10% of all procurement
• To ensure the absence of barriers that reduce the participation of diverse vendors
• Educate vendors on "how to" do business with the university
• Support diverse vendors seeking to do business with the university in the areas of goods, services, construction and all areas of procurement
• Encourage participation of qualified diverse vendors by directing them to agencies that can benefit from their product or service
• Provide resources for diverse vendors
• Maintain a database of designated diverse vendors for use by buyers, project managers, construction managers, general contractors and other purchasing entities seeking qualified vendors Sponsor seminars and conduct training workshops to assist diverse vendors to become an active, responsible and responsive participant in the university's purchasing opportunities

Seeks to enhance the diversity and inclusivity of our university community through recruitment, promotion, and retention of an increasingly diverse population of faculty, administrators, staff, and students, and by implementing initiatives that provide rich diversity-related experiences for all, to help ensure their success in an interconnected world.

The University of Kentucky is a public, land grant university dedicate to improving people’s lives through excellence in education, research and creative work, service, and health care.  As Kentucky’s flagship institution, the University plays a critical leadership role by promoting diversity, inclusion, economic development, and human well-being.

The University of Kentucky:

• Facilitates learning, informed by scholarship and research
• Expands knowledge through research, scholarship, and creative activity
• Serves a global community by disseminating, sharing, and applying knowledge

The University, as the flagship institution, plays a critical leadership role for the Commonwealth by contributing to the economic development and quality of life within Kentucky’s borders and beyond.  The University nurtures a diverse community characterized by fairness and equal opportunity.

As Kentucky’s indispensable institution, we transform the lives of our students and advance the Commonwealth we serve—and beyond—through our teaching and learning, diversity and inclusion, discovery, research and creativity, promotion of health, and deep community engagement.

Click here to read the UK Strategic Plan 2021.

The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce provides access to the Kentucky Minority Business Database.  The resource is a combination of all of the public databases of Kentucky-certified diverse suppliers in one searchable site.

Access the Kentucky Minority Business Database