University of Wisconsin-River Falls
OP-15: Inclusive and Local Purchasing

UW System campuses purchase goods and services through State Procurement. The State of Wisconsin is committed to the involvement of minority and veteran-owned business enterprises in the state's procurement program. UWRF follows the State's purchasing policy which allows the campus to award contracts to certified minority or veteran-owned businesses who submit the lowest qualified bid when that qualified bid is not more than 5% more than the apparent low bid. This policy helps to create a diverse supplier base. State Procurement contracts are also used for Work Centers: Industries for the Blind, East Shore Industries, and WisCraft. RS

State policy requires that the University grant opportunity to women, veterans, disabled and minority-owned vendors. UWRF also honors social enterprises, such as sheltered workshops and Bureau of Corrections (aka Badger Industries). Employees are encouraged to purchase locally whenever possible. http://www.uwrf.edu/Purchasing/PurchasingFormsAndHandbook.cfm The percentage of total purchases from disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises and/or local community-based businesses is derived from the annual State of Wisconsin Supplier Diversity Business Report, Fiscal Year 2015. The 1.5% reflects the percentage of UWRF general purchasing that supports Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) or what is now called Supplier Diversity, combined with an estimate of local business . We purchase a lot of instructor stations from Spectrum Furniture. They are based in Chippewa Falls and have received awards for their "green" practices. Here is a link to that information. Furthermore, our rep lives in the local community, further limiting our impact on travel when spec'ing new equipment. http://www.spectrumfurniture.com/about/environmental.cfm