Supplier Diversity and Small Business Program at AIR
At the American Institutes for Research® (AIR), our commitment to diversity goes beyond compliance. It is integrated into our operations and reflected in our efforts to serve our clients and communities. We work actively to ensure that all our partners, including small businesses and consultants, have equal access to short and long-term assignments.
We welcome partnerships with businesses of all sizes that share our values, especially those able to bring diverse perspectives to our work in both domestic and international markets.
Partner with Us
We seek to extend opportunities for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) integration through to our supplier diversity program, ensuring the diversity of suppliers with whom we partner and work. We are dedicated to partnering with vendors that reflect the communities we serve, encompassing a wide array of diversity and backgrounds, including but not limited to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, and people with disabilities.
Our Supplier Diversity program makes it easy for clients, independent firms, subcontractors, and vendors to partner with us. The small business subcontracting program is administered by a designated Small Business Liaison Officer (SBLO). The SBLO is the AIR corporate external point-of-contact for small and socio-economically disadvantaged businesses interested in doing business with AIR. We welcome the following potential partners across the small business community:
- Woman-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB), including Minority-Owned Businesses
- Veteran-owned Small Businesses (VOSB)
- Service-Disabled-Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB)
- Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBzone)
Become a Small Business Supplier with AIR
AIR follows the guidelines set forth by the U.S. Small Business Administration. If you're interested in becoming a supplier with AIR and want to learn how you can qualify, follow these steps:
- Obtain your Federal Tax Identification Number (TIN or EIN).
- Identify the primary NAICS Code for your company.
- Register with the US General Services Administration to obtain your Unique Entity ID (UEI).
- Obtain your Small Business Certifications through the Small Business Administration.
- Contact AIR SBLO via email to schedule a discussion with our purchasing department.
Resources
- The U.S. Government has established criteria to determine the eligibility of small businesses to participate in small business programs. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
- If your small business has not yet registered with the System for Award Management (SAM) database, it will need to do so in order to be eligible for procurement opportunities that become available with AIR.
