Real Estate companies interested in providing more economic opportunities to businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans and other under-represented groups can participate in a national “supplier diversity” program initiated by The Roundtable in coalition with allied trade associations. (Supplier Diversity's FAQ)

SupplierGATEWAY Pilot Program 

• A leading vendor management company, SupplierGATEWAY, has joined The Roundtable and six other national organizations in a pilot program that runs through the end of 2024.
  
  
• The pilot effort provides the software, database, and tracking tools to real estate companies with an interest in hiring small businesses and other entrepreneurs that have historically lacked fair and equal access to opportunities in the industry’s supply chain.
  
  
• “MWBEs”—shorthand for firms owned by minorities, women, veterans, LGBTQ+ persons, and persons with disabilities—can register with SupplierGATEWAY’s comprehensive online database.
  
  
• The database currently includes approximately one million MWBE “suppliers”— including consultants, contractors, building trades, service providers, joint venture partners, vendors and other enterprises.
  
  
• MWBE developers, lenders, and capital providers can also register to be included in the database. (Supplier Diversity's FAQ)
  
  
• Hiring companies can track their discretionary procurement spending on MWBEs by subscribing to the database, vendor-matching software, and budget analysis tools at the discounted rate of $10,000 for 12 months. SupplierGATEWAY has offered this reduced rate to members of The Roundtable and our coalition partners through the pilot’s duration.
  
  
• Participation in the program may assist real estate companies seeking to advance Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) goals.

Industry Coalition Launch Imminent 

• The SupplierGATEWAY pilot program is a unique industry-wide initiative of the Commercial Real Estate Diverse Supplier (CREDS) Consortium, which includes The Roundtable and six inaugural association partners.
  
  
• An announcement of the CREDS Consortium’s formal launch is imminent.

Points of Contact

• Roundtable members interested in subscribing to the SupplierGATEWAY platform should first receive a demo of the system by contacting Julian So at julian@suppliergateway.com.
  
  
• Roundtable Senior Vice President and Counsel, Duane J. Desiderio (ddesiderio@rer.org), can also provide more information. (Supplier Diversity FAQ document)  

Advancing supplier diversity goals across the CRE industry has been a priority of The Roundtable’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, chaired by Roundtable Board Member Jeff T. Blau, (CEO, Related Companies). Roundtable members and their key staff interested in joining the DEI Committee should contact Michelle Reid, Director of Membership Services (mreid@rer.org).   

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