Certifying & Resource Organizations

We collaborate with organizations that share our commitment to diverse supplier development, help us build inclusive procurement practices and provide various business development resources to diverse suppliers.

The organizations and agencies listed below provide third-party certification and other business assistance and development resources (this list is not exhaustive):

• NMSDC - If the prospective supplier is minority-owned, American Water recommends that the business becomes certified by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) or one of its regional affiliates at www.nmsdc.org
• WBENC - If the business is woman-owned, American Water recommends certification with the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) or one of its regional affiliates at www.wbenc.org/
• USDVA - If the supplier is a service-disabled veteran or veteran owned, please contact the USDVA for documentation to verify your status through the Vets First program at https://www.va.gov/osdbu/verification/index.asp
• NVBDC - If the supplier is a service-disabled veteran or veteran owned, American Water recommends certification with the National Veteran Business Development Council (NVBDC) at https://nvbdc.org/https://nvbdc.org/
• NGLCC - If the supplier is LGBT, American Water recommends certification with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) or one of its regional affiliates at https://www.nglcc.org/
• SBA - If the business is small business, American Water recommends certification with the Small Business Administration at https://www.sba.gov/.
• Federal, state and local agencies. Here are examples of “Other” certifying bodies: City and/or State certifying agencies including Department of Transportation (DoT), Affirmative Action Offices, Economic Development, Civil Rights, Unified Certification Program among others.