About OSD

Our Office

The Office of Supplier Diversity oversees certification, compliance, training, outreach and capacity building for the City of Mobile Equal Business Opportunity Programs. Anchored by the State and Local Disadvantaged Business Certification Program, the City's Equal Business Opportunity programs are designed to identify disadvantaged business enterprises (DBE), service-disabled veteran owned, woman owned business (WBE) and small businesses (SBE) according to discrete certification standards, and then to mitigate the effects of past and present social-disadvantage and economic-disadvantage by increasing the opportunity of DBEs in the procurement of goods and services by the City of Mobile.

The Office of Supplier Diversity does not employ set-asides for DBEs or promote the hiring of DBE firms that do not perform a commercially useful function. Instead, the office supports plans that allow DBE firms to receive their fair share of procurement opportunities based on their availability, competency, capacity and willingness to work with the City of Mobile. The office promotes strategies that foster an environment where prime contractors and DBE firms can form joint ventures, teaming agreements and mentor-protégé relationships to bid and perform successfully on City contracts when needed.

The Office of Supplier Diversity exists to help DBEs overcome challenges. The programs and services provided through the Office of Supplier Diversity are a direct response by the City of Mobile to help DBE firms overcome challenges while helping to build a better Mobile.

Our Mission

The Office of Supplier Diversity is dedicated to creating and implementing programs, policies and procedures that assist minority, women, service disabled veteran and small business with gaining greater access to procurement opportunities and resources to build competitively viable and sustainable businesses in and for the City of Mobile.

Our Vision

The Office of Supplier Diversity's vision is to develop a program that will deliver and capture value through supplier diversity.

Our Values

The Office of Supplier Diversity is committed to acting honestly and ethically in all our transactions and dealings. We are committed to treating everyone with whom we encounter fairly and respectfully. We are committed to acting thoughtfully and responsibly for the City and citizens of Mobile.

Our Key Objectives

The Office of Supplier Diversity will concentrate efforts on improving its effectiveness in four key areas:

• Increase the number of available and capable certified minority, women and disadvantaged owned firms for the City of Mobile
• Increase the number and the dollar amount of procurements with City of Mobile-certified DBE firms
• Improve compliance and monitoring of DBE participation on City of Mobile contracts
• Help the City of Mobile-certified DBE firms build more competitive and sustainable businesses for the benefit of the City and citizens of the City of Mobile.