National Buyer Supplier Program

About the NBSP Program

The National Business League (NBL), founded by Booker T. Washington in 1900, launched the National Buyer-Supplier Program (NBSP) in 2020 to bridge the gap in economic equity and supplier readiness. Fueled by a commitment to innovation, the program empowers diverse-owned businesses to grow and scale with Fortune 500 alignment.

$150 Million in Contracts

The National Buyer-Supplier Program (NBSP) was launched in 2020 to bridge the gap in economic equity and supplier readiness.

Vision

We at the National Business League envision a world of economic equity — a world where business owners of all races, ethnicities, gender identities, religious beliefs, abilities, appearances, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic backgrounds have equal opportunities to prosper and contribute meaningfully to the economic and social well-being of their communities and society as a whole.

Mission

The NBSP believes that economic equity and strengthened supply chains can only occur when innovative, competitive, high-performing, risk-mitigating suppliers are evaluated solely on these metrics. Toward the goal of economic empowerment and decreasing the wealth gap, it is the mission of the NBSP:

to seek to help create suppliers with the characteristics listed above; and to prepare those businesses owned by or under the management control of socially and economically disadvantaged individuals for accelerated growth and the ability to operate as a tier one or tier two supplier

Program Objectives

The primary objectives of the NBSP are to:

Develop a pipeline of highly innovative and competitive suppliers owned by or under the management control of socially and economically disadvantaged individuals for Fortune 500 companies that are in alignment with their purchasing priorities and operational requirements;
Facilitate the companies in the program to unlock their untapped innovation capabilities and competitive advantage and drive meaningful change.

Highlights

Featured on the New York Stock Exchange
Featured in Black Enterprise
Contributed to over $150 million in contracts

★ Featured on the New York Stock Exchange

★ Featured in Black Enterprise

★ Contributed to over $150 million in contracts

★ 60% of alumni experienced double growth within two years of completing the program

★ Fortune 500 companies contribute to program design and administration

★ BBE & Supplier Readiness Certification provided

★ Vast majority of participants found the program:

- Comparable or broader in content
- Requiring comparable or greater commitment
- More value-adding and enjoyable than equivalent national programs

Leadership

National Director Dr. Forrest S. Carter, Ph.D., the NBSP blends academic rigor with real-world impact to prepare suppliers for success. Dr. Carter is an Associate Professor of Marketing and the first Professor of Entrepreneurship Emeritus from Michigan State University. In addition to the NBSP, Dr. Carter played a role in the curriculum development of the Apple-Spartan Growth Academy at Michigan State University. Over the last forty years Dr. Carter has devoted himself to teaching, inspiring, and assisting job creators and community builders across the country, along with consulting with numerous Fortune 500 companies, as well as minority and women’s small businesses.

What You Can Expect

Despite the market success of its alumni—or perhaps because of it—the program must emphasize that it cannot promise any contracts or preferential treatment by its corporate partners.

The program does commit to, and has historical evidence of, providing the following:

An executable growth plan that details the steps enabling the business:

to experience transitional growth;
to scale; and
to address the various risk mitigation factors associated with supplier readiness.

Assistance in integrating AI tools into their business operations that support their growth plan and scaling; and

Membership in NBL’s pipeline of businesses that have been vetted to be supplier-ready, which is continually promoted and made available to our corporate partners and other Fortune 500 companies.

No promised contracts – only proven results and outcomes
Custom Growth Plan for Transitional Growth and Scaling
AI Integration into Daily Business Operations

Inclusion in National Supplier-Ready Business Pipeline

Alumni Testimonials

Mr. George Gamble

Owner/CEO Powerhouse Energy 360 / 2022-2023 Cohort

"I am eternally grateful for the program, my company has taken great strides to distinguish itself in the market, but it was the opportunities and connections gained through the program that have allowed us to enjoy such dramatic growth over the last two years"

Ms. Vickie Lewis

Owner/CEO - VMX International LLC / 2023-2024 Cohort

"We had no business opportunities from the corporate partners, but did have promising business opportunities because of the collaboration with others in the program. We expect revenues to double over the coming year. Overall extremely positive on the benefits of the program."

Ms. Karen Watson

Owner/CEO - Int'l Filter Mfg. Corporation / 2024-2025 Cohort

"Initially, I was hesitant to join the program. I had participated in other valuable ones and wasn’t sure what more I could gain. But this one truly reached me in ways the others did not; it was the best. This experience reshaped how I see my business, my role, and what accelerated growth truly requires. It’s now influencing how I lead my team and restructure the organization to position us for long-term success."

Supplier Development

NBSP is more than a leadership course—it’s a readiness accelerator. Graduates consistently rank the program as comparable or superior to elite national programs such as Goldman Sachs 10KSB, Dartmouth-Tuck, and McKinsey’s Black Leadership Academy.

This program is built around supplier readiness….

Supplier readiness is a term used in reference to operating as a tier one or tier two supplier, competitively defined based on a firm’s innovativeness, value creation for customers, and risk mitigation capabilities—across a myriad of factors beyond simply having a competitive product at a competitive price.

This program goes beyond a leadership or management training initiative and focuses on helping businesses integrate tools and technologies that enhance their ability to accelerate growth, as well as the subtleties associated with operating as a tier one or tier two supplier.

Most NBSP graduates completed one or more distinguished programs such as Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, Dartmouth College’s Tuck Diversity Business Program, Northwestern’s ASCEND Program, National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) – Advanced Management Education Program (AMEP), McKinsey & Company – Black Leadership Academy, and others.

NBSP alumni consistently rated the program’s breadth of content as equal to (65%) or superior to (28%) these prominent national programs. They also consistently rated the extent to which the program added value to their businesses as equal to (59%) or superior to (40%) these programs, as well as being equally (52%) or more (48%) enjoyable.

Program Curriculum & Calendar

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Selection Criteria

2+ Years in Business
$300K+ Annual Revenue
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Ownership
Willingness to Commit to an Intensive 10-Month Program

Expectations

2+ Years in Business
$300K+ Annual Revenue
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Ownership
Willingness to Commit to an Intensive 10-Month Program

APPLY TODAY

Concept

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Design Process

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Supervision

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Budget Planning

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The National Business League^®