As 2021 ends, we want to reflect on some of the outcomes the Anchor Institution Initiative Procurement team made toward our supplier diversity objectives. Here’s a few highlights: 

• The America to Go Supplier Diversity Catering Program achieved 10.9 percent diverse spend in campus utilization of the program. Despite catering spend going down due to the pandemic, UCSF departments are making decisions to maintain and increase diverse spend.  
• The team has helped source and increase bid submittals from small, diverse and local businesses on RFQ, PJ3875-Pre-Design Professional Consulting Services. Six firms out of the eight selected have a business certification designation as diverse, local and/or small. It is a big win that 75 percent of the firms selected were part of our supplier diversity sourcing efforts. Each pre-design consultant and consultants will have a blanket agreement and contract signed with UCSF Real Estate. 
• To further share our best practices, our Procurement sub-committee co-chairs Andrew Clark, executive director of Strategic Procurement, and Doug Parrish, Chief Executive Officer, Red Dipper, Inc. were featured in a San Francisco Business Times interview. Read the article here. 

The Procurement team is proud of the traction gained given the global and organizational challenges faced this year. What we now understand is that our collective commitments are inspiring our communities and strategic partners to make a difference.  

There is no action too small to make this a great holiday season when you put local community first. We encourage you to consider shopping from small, local and diverse businesses whenever possible at UCSF and in your local communities. Wishing you a happy holiday season. 

If you would like support in your effort to include diverse, small and local business in your purchasing or want to join the Anchors Away Team, please contact Marliz Copado.