Supplier Diversity
 

Centene is committed to inclusive representation as a key part of how we purchase goods and services. By working with small and diverse suppliers, we tap into new ideas that add value to our businesses and help us provide innovative solutions to our members.


Our Supplier Diversity Program demonstrates our commitment to the process of promoting business opportunity at Centene for state, federal and nationally recognized certified minority- and women-owned businesses (MWOBEs) as well as certified veteran-, LGBTQ+, and disability-owned businesses. This includes identifying opportunities for diverse suppliers to participate in the competitive bid process and promoting business development of diverse suppliers while building strong relationships.

At Centene, we believe in creating opportunities for people to succeed and expect our suppliers to do the same. We encourage all of our prime suppliers to subcontract work to diverse suppliers.

 

Sarah London, CEO

"At Centene, we believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce is a vital part of how we serve our members and communities. This commitment to diversity and inclusion is a central part of how we do business – and it extends to our selection of partners and suppliers. Centene is committed to spending $1 billion with diverse suppliers – minority-, women-, veteran-, LGBTQ- and disability-owned businesses by 2026."

- Sarah London, CEO, Centene

Who is a Diverse Supplier?

Black/African American-Owned Business: A business that is at least 51 percent owned, operated and controlled by an African American individual(s) with U.S. citizenship. African Americans have origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

Asian-Owned Business: A business that is at least 51 percent owned, operated and controlled by an Asian American individual(s) with U.S. citizenship. Asian is the ethnicity of an individual from the Asian geographical area that is not included in the Asian-Indian or Asian-Pacific classifications.

Asian-Indian-Owned Business: A business that is at least 51 percent owned, operated and controlled by an Asian-Indian American individual(s) with U.S. citizenship. Asian-Indian is the ethnicity of an individual whose origins are from India, Pakistan or Bangladesh.

Asian-Pacific-Owned Business: A business that is at least 51 percent owned, operated and controlled by an Asian-Pacific American individual(s) with U.S. citizenship. Asian-Pacific is the ethnicity of an individual whose origins are from Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Philippines, Samoa and Guam, U.S. Trust Territories of the Pacific, or the Northern Mariana.

Hispanic-Owned Business: A business that is at least 51 percent owned, operated and controlled by a Hispanic American individual(s) with U.S. citizenship. Hispanic is the ethnicity of an individual whose origins are from any of the Spanish-speaking areas of Latin America or the following regions: Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean Basin.

Native American-Owned Business: A business that is at least 51 percent owned, operated and controlled by a Native American individual(s) with U.S. citizenship. Native American is the ethnicity of an individual whose origins are from American Indians, Aleuts, Eskimos and Native Hawaiians.

Women-Owned Business: A business that is least 51 percent owned, operated and controlled by a female individual(s) with U.S. citizenship.

Disabled-Owned Business: Any for-profit enterprise, regardless of size, located in the United States or its trust territories, which is at least 51 percent owned, operated and controlled by an individual (s) with a permanent mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities and which has a significant negative impact upon the company's ability to successfully compete. The ownership and control shall be real and continuing and not created solely to take advantage of special or set-aside programs aimed at minority business development. Due to the absence of a certifying agency for this category of business owners, the DBE must complete an affidavit and provide supporting documentation to be eligible for consideration as a disabled-owned business. 

LGBTQ+ Owned Business: A business that is at least 51 percent owned, operated, managed, and controlled by a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBTQ+) person(s) who is either a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident; exercises independence from any non-LGBTQ+ business enterprise; has its principal place of business (headquarters) in the United States; and has been formed as a legal entity in the United States.

Veteran-Owned Business: A business that is at least 51 percent owned by one or more veterans (as defined in 38 U.S.C. 101(2)) or, in the case of any publicly owned business, at least 51 percent of the stock is owned by one or more veterans; or the management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more veterans.

Disabled Veteran-Owned Business: A sole proprietorship that is at least 51 percent owned by one or more disabled veterans or, in the case of a publicly owned business, at least 51 percent of the stock is owned by one or more disabled veterans; a subsidiary that is wholly owned by a parent corporation, but only if at least 51 percent of the voting stock of the parent corporation is owned by one or more disabled veterans; or a joint venture in which at least 51 percent of the joint venture’s management, control and earnings is held by one or more disabled veterans. 

A business that meets "small" ownership criteria and the Small Business Size Standard for its industry, as defined by the Small Business Administration (SBA).

What is a Small Business Size Standard?
A size standard, which is usually stated in number of employees or average annual receipts, represents the largest size that a business (including its subsidiaries and affiliates) may be to remain classified as a small business for SBA and federal contracting programs. The definition of “small” varies by industry.

SBA Certifications
SBA certifications, including 8(a), Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDB) and Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBZone), have other criteria that must be met. Please refer to www.sba.gov for a full description of the certification programs and the eligibility requirements.

 

Are You Interested in Working with Centene?

We invite you to learn more about our commitment to fostering a diverse supplier base and welcome all potential suppliers who can fulfill our requirements on a competitive basis. Contact us at SupplierDiversity@Centene.com. Please include a copy of your certification, key core competencies of your business and primary sales contact.