NLOWE sets sights on new contract opportunities with Supplier Diversity NL launch

A new business program aimed at getting government and large organizations to look at women-owned businesses for contracts was announced in St. John's Thursday.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneurs (NLOWE) announced the Supplier Diversity NL initiative to a group of about 60 women in St. John's on Thursday.

The program will encourage larger organizations to work with female-owned businesses by connecting them online.

NLOWE member Kathleen Dwyer, who attended the launch, said she's excited for the raised awareness.

"For me, I just want to at least have an opportunity to meet people and for them to know about my business," she said.

"What business comes from there is up to me. I mean it's my product and my service that you'll get with my business, but it's just getting an introduction."

Plenty of entrepreneurial talent

Although the number of entrepreneurial women in Atlantic Canada has grown by almost 50 per cent in the last five years, women-owned businesses receive only about five per cent of supplier contracts.

Business owner Shannon Doyle told CBC she's excited for new opportunities.

"Instead of trying to track down all different buyers at all different companies, you can now register with this database and you'll be accessible to all these corporations," said Doyle.

"It's excellent news for our province and for women entrepreneurs."

'Completely unprecedented'

Paula Sheppard, chief executive officer of NLOWE, told Thursday's gathering the Newfoundland and Labrador government has also made strides to increase female leaders in business.

"When you look at what our government has done to try and include women in the supply chain for natural resource projects – it's completely unprecedented," Sheppard said.

"When we look for best practices, there are none, because we're it — so it's up to us to move these initiatives forward."

Sheppard says supplier diversity programs are a fairly new concept in the country.

"In Canada, 47 per cent of businesses are run totally or in-part by women, and only about three to five per cent of those government and Fortune 500 companies are awarding contracts to women. So that stat is a huge divide," she said. 

​"Our goal is to diversify the pool of suppliers that enterprises choose from, and encourage more women-owned businesses to put themselves forward for large contracts. The talent and skill is there."