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Supplier Diversity FAQs

Minority, Women, Lesbian, Gay & Transgender, Veteran and Small Business Certification* verifies that a firm is independently-owned and controlled by one or more socially and economically disadvantaged individuals or groups.

*Must meet all SBA requirements, and actively registered with the U.S. Federal Contractor Registration, System for Award Management Registration (SAM). VWR does not accept self certifications.

What is Certification?

Validation from a third party organization (e.g. NMSDC, WBENC, government entity) that your company is indeed 51% owned, operated, and controlled by a diverse supplier.

How does my company become certified?

You can begin the process by contacting a third-party certifier and requesting a diverse supplier certification package.

VWR accepts the following Diverse Supplier and Small Business certifications. Provided is a list of the headquarters for each of the certifying agencies. Local or regional offices can be found by contacting the organization listed.

Department of General Services (DVBE certification)
Office of Small Business Certification and Resources
707 3rd Street, First Floor, Room 400
West Sacramento, CA 95605
Toll free: +1.800.559.5529
Phone: +1.916.375.4940
Fax: +1.916.375.4950
Website: http://www.pd.dgs.ca.gov/smbus/

National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)
729 15th St. NW, 9th Floor
Washington D.C. 20005
Phone: + 1.202.234.9181
Fax: +1 202.234.9185
Website: http://www.nglcc.org/

National Minority Supplier Development Council (MBE certification)
1040 Avenue of the Americas, Second Floor
New York, NY 10018
Phone: +1.212.944.2430
Fax: +1.212.719.9611
Website: http://www.nmsdc.org/

U.S. Department of Transportation (DBE certification)
Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization
400 7th Street, SW, Room 9410
Washington, D.C. 20590
Toll free: +1.800.532.1169
Phone: +1.202.366.1930
Fax: +1.202.366.7538
Website: http://osdbuweb.dot.gov/

Does Certification guarantee a vendor's ability to conduct business with VWR?

No. Certification only guarantees that a company has the potential to be considered (along with other vendors) for an opportunity when the right project arises. Vendors still need to be the most qualified and meet all other VWR sourcing requirements.

Is certification required to do business with VWR as a diverse supplier?

Yes. While all vendors are encouraged to seek to do business with VWR, only companies that are THIRD PARTY CERTIFIED as Minority, Women Owned Businesses, and Small Business are counted toward our Supplier Diversity goals. VWR does not accept self-certifications.

What criteria does VWR use in selecting a diverse supplier?

Selection criteria for a project are driven primarily by our corporate business requirement and need. Once requirements are developed, we identify supplier candidates whose products or services can fulfill the requirements. Then we may reach out to the supplier directly, or issue a Request for Proposal.

What if there are no immediate opportunities available?

Vendor profiles will remain in our database until the right opportunity arises. Vendors are responsible for updating their profile as events or activities within their company change.

Does VWR have a online Vendor Registration Database?

Yes. All prospective suppliers should fill out the Diverse Supplier Registration Form.

Who may I contact for additional questions?

You can connect with the VWR Supplier Diversity team at supplierdiversity@vwr.com.