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Economic Inclusion at Penn

Engaging Locally! This is one of the main components of the Penn Compact, President Amy Gutmann's vision of the future for Penn. As the largest private employer in the City of Philadelphia and the second largest private employer in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Penn is using its considerable purchasing and construction capacity, as well as its academic expertise, to encourage local business growth, empower diversity and women business owners, provide women and minorities with greater access to the skilled and higher-paying trades, and create jobs.

Economic Inclusion Plenary Committee

The Economic Inclusion Plenary Committee exists to provide oversight and strategy to the University in formulating and managing its Economic Inclusion initiative. Three subcommittees of the committee meet to review and monitor progress made in procurement, construction and workforce development, and report to the full Plenary Committee on a quarterly basis. There have been measurable benefits to the neighborhood, city and region resulting from these initiatives.

In Purchasing Services, results have been driven by a number of targeted Purchasing Services initiatives designed to expand business and economic opportunities available to those who live, work and own businesses in the local community. Last fiscal year alone, Penn purchased more than $85.7 million in products and services from local community businesses, with $69.9 million from diversity owned suppliers. That's 12% of total Penn's purchasing dollars directed to local community businesses and 10% to diversity owned suppliers. And by helping its diversity business partners acquire eBusiness capability, Purchasing Services is empowering them to compete more effectively in the Penn Marketplace, Penn's private supplier exchange. Approximately 20% of marketplace participating suppliers are diversity owned.

In Facilities & Real Estate Services, local residents have filled more than half of the jobs created by Penn's retail ventures. Approximately 35% of all Penn construction jobs have gone to minority and women workers, and 26% of all contracts have been awarded to minority and women owned businesses. Recently, Penn in cooperation with the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, created the Lucien E. Blackwell Apprenticeship Program to provide skills training opportunities to residents from West and Southwest Philadelphia.

In Human Resources, works continues on a number of initiatives to increase diversity in the workforce by increasing access to available administrative and faculty positions.

Procurement Initiatives

Purchasing Services supports Penn's commitment to economic inclusion by engaging diversity owned and local community based suppliers in the procurement process at Penn. With support from senior management, community and political leaders, Purchasing Services has leveraged the University's buying power, its knowledge assets, resources, and commitment to socially responsible purchasing to provide business opportunities for local community based suppliers and job growth among neighborhood residents. Purchasing Services has succeeded in promoting economic inclusion while meeting its mission to provide best-in-class buying methods and best price supplier business relationships.

  • Supplier Diversity Program
    Launched in 1995, this program is deigned to identify business opportunities for diversity suppliers, on a direct supplier basis or in strategic partnerships with major regional and national firms, including participation in the Penn Marketplace, Penn's private online supplier exchange.
  • Local Community Business Program
    Launched in 1986, this program is designed to pursue business opportunities for local community businesses, on a direct supplier basis or in strategic partnerships with major regional and national firms, including participation in the Penn Marketplace, Penn's private online supplier exchange.

Purchasing Services utilizes local business organizations to provide guidance and support for procurement related economic inclusion initiatives. Purchasing Services management and staff members participate in the procurement subcommittee and related initiatives along with representatives from the following organizations:

Supplier Feedback

The ability to provide required products and services, meet our business and technology requirements, and support and service a large and decentralized purchasing environment, are critical success factors for suppliers interested in establishing a successful business relationship with Penn. We welcome feedback and suggestions from potential suppliers and existing business partners on how we may improve our economic inclusion program. Please direct questions related to this Purchasing Services initiative to Ralph Maier, Chief Procurement Officer.

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