SUPPLIER DIVERSITY POLICY

Effective August 2025 | Download PDF

 

Bright Horizons recognizes the value diversity brings to our employees, clients, and the communities we serve and endeavors to create an inclusive supplier network that supports all stakeholders. 

 

QUALIFYING SUPPLIERS 

To qualify as a small, diverse business, suppliers must meet criteria established by the Small Business Administration, the applicable state or local governmental authority, or other recognized accreditation organization. These criteria often include small businesses in the following categories (collectively, “Diverse Small Businesses”): 

 

  • Women-owned small businesses;
  • Veteran-owned small businesses;
  • Disabled-owned small business;
  • Service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses;
  • LGBTQ-owned small businesses;
  • Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) small businesses; and
  • Minority-owned and other small businesses. 

 

Categories of goods and services purchased include, but are not limited to: 

 

  • Professional services (e.g., temporary staffing, legal, coaching, systems implementation);
  • Facilities (e.g., construction, maintenance, repair, painting, lighting, cleaning, supplies);
  • Office services (e.g., catering, meetings and events);
  • Marketing (e.g., creative, photo/video, promotional services);
  • Technology (e.g., hardware, software, peripherals); and
  • Furniture (both standard and child-size). 

 

Bright Horizons evaluates suppliers using multiple criteria including price, quality, customer service, delivery, compliance, and other relevant requirements. Under this policy, Bright Horizons aims to develop an inclusive supplier network, taking the following actions to the extent allowed by applicable law: 

 

  • Identifying qualifying Diverse Small Businesses;
  • Expanding our network to include Diverse Small Businesses;
  • Communicating opportunities to a broad supplier community, which includes Diverse Small Businesses;
  • Providing an equal bidding opportunity to all suppliers, including Diverse Small Businesses; and 
  • Encouraging Bright Horizons’ purchasers to make commercially reasonable efforts to include Diverse Small Businesses in the purchasing process that aligns with our business needs.