SDP_Plan_Form~6.xlsx

SDP Plan Form Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) Plan Form Required for All Bidders

Part I Bidder and Contact Information (Required)

● Ancillary Products and Services is a business relationship in which the SDP partner provides products or services that are not directly related to the prime contractor’s contract with the Commonwealth but instead are related to the prime contractor's general business operations.

● The required minimum Total SDP Commitment is 1%.

Part IV Business Practices (Optional)

Part V Additional Supplier Diversity Initiatives (Optional)

Please describe any additional initiatives related to engaging, buying from and/or collaborating with diverse businesses.

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FORM INSTRUCTIONS

Is this form required for your company?

Yes. If a bid solicitation includes this form, it is required for ALL Bidders without exception. This includes Bidders who are certified as a diverse business by the Supplier Diversity Office (SDO) or another organization. No contract shall be awarded to a Bidder without an SDP commitment (Part II of the form) that meets the RFR requirements.

Which parts of this form are required to be completed?

All parts marked as "required" must be completed, and all required fields are shaded in yellow. Bidders are encouraged to provide information in sections marked as “optional” and may receive additional points for doing so. All optional fields are shaded in green and important information is shaded in red.

Part I – Bidder and Contact Information (Required)

● Bidder Company Name: Enter your company name.

● Average Gross Revenue: Enter your company’s average gross revenue based on a 3-year average. If a company has been in business for less than 3 years, enter the average annual gross revenue for the period beginning from business inception.

● Main Contact for this Bid: Provide the contact information for the individual who should be contacted if the issuing department has questions about this form.

● SDP Reporting Contact (if awarded): Provide the contact information for the individual who should be contacted regarding your company’s SDP spending reports, if your company is awarded a contract.

Part II – SDP Spending Commitment (Required) An SDP Commitment is the percentage of your contract sales your company commits to spending with certified diverse businesses (SDP Partners). No contract shall be awarded to a Bidder without an SDP commitment that meets the RFR requirements. Unless otherwise specified in the RFR, the minimum required Total SDP Commitment is 1%.

The SDP Partner may be engaged in the following two ways (business-to-business relationship types):

● Subcontracting, defined as a partnership in which the SDP partner is involved in the provision of products and/or services to the Commonwealth. Such relationships typically, but not always, involve a formal written agreement between the SDP partner and the prime contractor.

● Ancillary Products and Services, defined as a business relationship in which the SDP partner provides products or services that are not directly related to the prime contractor’s contract with the Commonwealth. In most cases, this type of partnership is related to the prime contractor’s general business or operational needs.

An SDP Partner is always another business; it may not be your own company. Contractors certified by the SDO or another recognized certification organization may not list their own organization or own subsidiary or affiliate as an SDP partner.

After contract award (if any), the Total SDP Commitment will become a contract requirement that must be met annually on a Massachusetts fiscal year basis (July 1 – June 30) for the duration of the contract. See the RFR for any additional commitment specifications.

Part III – Proposed SDP Partners (Required) All SDP Partner(s) listed on the form must be certified in one or more of the certification categories listed in the data entry part of the form. Eligible SDP Partners can be found by searching one of the two databases:

Supplier Diversity Office Directory of Certified Businesses Veteran Small Business Certification (sba.gov)

● Proposed SDP Partner Company Name: Provide the company name(s) of one or more SDP Partners your company proposes to do business with to meet its SDP Commitment.

● Relationship Type: See Part II instructions.

● Certification Category: Select the SDP Partner's certification category from the menu. For partners with multiple certification types, please select only one.

● Certifying Organization: Provide the name of the organization that issued the proposed SDP Partner’s certification (e.g. the SDO, the SBA, another city or state certification office, the National Minority Supplier Development Council, the Women Business Enterprise National Council, etc.). Self-certification is not acceptable.

IMPORTANT: While SDP Partners that are not certified or recognized by the SDO may be listed, it is the responsibility of the Bidder to ensure that their proposed SDP Partners obtain such certification or recognition by the SDO. The issuing department and the SDO will not conduct outreach to proposed SDP Partners to ensure their certification. Furthermore, no guarantee can be made that a proposed SDP Partner will be certified, or regarding the time it may take to process a proposed SDP Partner certification. It is always the responsibility of the Bidder to ensure they meet their SDP Commitment, and the SDO assumes no responsibility for any Contractor’s failure to meet its SDP Commitment.

● Product or Service: In brief, describe the product or service that will be provided by the proposed SDP Partner.

● Prior Year Spending (Optional) by the Bidder with the Proposed SDP Partner: If your company has already purchased from the proposed SDP Partner, provide information on up to two years of prior spending with that partner.

Part IV – Business Practices (Optional) Note that, while important, diversity and inclusion initiatives related to your company’s workforce/human resources (hiring, retention, promotion, etc. of diverse personnel) will not be evaluated.

Part V – Additional Supplier Diversity Initiatives (Optional) Such initiatives may include but not be limited to:

● Serving as a mentor in a mentor-protégé relationship.

● Technical and financial assistance provided to diverse businesses.

● Participation in joint ventures between nondiverse and diverse businesses.

● Voluntary assistance programs by which nondiverse business employees are loaned to diverse businesses or by which diverse business employees are taken into viable business ventures to acquire training and experience in managing business affairs.

Part VI – Certification (Required) Provide the information on the authorized individual completing or approving the information provided on the form.

Additional Resources

● More information about the Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) is available at https://www.mass.gov/supplier-diversity-program-sdp.

● More information about supplier diversity certifications is available at https://www.mass.gov/certification-program-for-sdo.

https://www.mass.gov/lists/program-resources-for-departmentshttps://www.vetbiz.va.gov/basic-search/https://www.diversitycertification.mass.gov/BusinessDirectory/BusinessDirectorySearch.aspxhttps://veterans.certify.sba.gov/