Created in partnership with the Helpdesk on Business & Human Rights
In 2020, AT&T — the world’s largest telecommunications company — marked the 52nd anniversary of its Supplier Diversity Programmes, which began in 1968 with the creation of AT&T’s Minority Business Enterprise initiative. The Supplier Diversity Programme has three pillars:
- Diverse supplier spend
- Diversity job creation
- Diverse business fostering and advocacy (including in Tier 2 suppliers)
As of 2020, AT&T has spent a total of US$13.2 billion on certified diverse businesses, including Minority Business Enterprises (MBE), Women Business Enterprises (WBE) and Service-Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (SVBE). This represents more than their corporate goal with 24.5% of total procurement spent.
In addition, across 2019 and 2020, AT&T spent US$3.1 billion with Black-owned suppliers, the largest commitment made to date by AT&T since the inception of the Supplier Diversity Programme. Black suppliers involved in the Programme support AT&T across a range of fields including warehousing, logistics, legal, advertising, construction, engineering, professional services, fuel, property management and fibre installation.