Empowering Local Businesses
Empowering Local Businesses
We promote a thriving local and small business ecosystem in the region.
Through our operations, we support and empower small businesses and entrepreneurs throughout the region, contributing to their success and capacity to thrive in this economy.
Supporting Local and Small Businesses
Small businesses in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties that Stanford University contracted with in FY 2024
Mosaic Global Transportation
Mosaic Global Transportation, a locally-owned professional ground transportation service company based in San Jose, was a top choice when Stanford expanded its transportation provider network. By recognizing Mosaic’s existing partnership with the Graduate School of Business and connecting them to the central Travel Program, the university strengthened its ties with a trusted local business and met campus-wide operational needs.
Building Small Business Capacity
We facilitate programs and resources to promote the health and resilience of small businesses, who are essential to our university and the broader regional and national economy.
Responsible Purchasing
The Responsible Purchasing program helps the university achieve operational excellence by promoting and building a broad supplier base—including small and local businesses—that strengthens competitive sourcing and supply chain resilience and optimizes community impact. The Program provides education, tools, and resources to campus-wide purchasers, including the Supplier Explorer tool that helps purchasers identify small, local, and sustainable businesses.
SLAC Small Business Support Program
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory provides small businesses with contract opportunities to supply goods and services to support the lab’s operations, aiming for an annual target of 50% small business procurement. For the last three years, SLAC has achieved an average of 65%. SLAC also participates in the Department of Energy’s Mentor/Protégé Program, which fosters business relationships between prime contractors and small businesses.
“Supporting small businesses through SLAC’s procurement process is essential to the lab’s mission, benefiting science, and advancing humanity. That is our commitment.” - Nicole Colley, Operations Strategy Manager, SCM
Business Advocacy Organization Collaboration
Engagement with local nonprofits that provide certification support, technical assistance, and supplier matchmaking to help businesses navigate institutional procurement.
Stanford Law Entrepreneurship Clinic
The Entrepreneurship Clinic is a new clinic launched by faculty and students to represent low-income entrepreneurs, social impact enterprises, and nonprofit organizations across a wide range of industries.
Construction Collaborative
Initiated by Stanford’s Responsible Purchasing Program, the Construction Collaborative brings together stakeholders from the university, Stanford Health Care, and SLAC to improve access and visibility for small and local firms in construction and facilities-related work. The Collaborative focuses on sharing best practices, building relationships with contractors and trade partners, and reducing barriers to participation across large-scale capital projects.
NOTE: Data presented on this website originates primarily from internal Stanford University departments, including the Office of Community Engagement, Land, Buildings & Real Estate, Business Affairs, the Office of Technology Licensing, University Human Resources, and others. Certain metrics, such as employee spending and job creation from construction expenditures, are derived from university data but required supplemental analysis and calculations that rely on publicly available data and information. The university retained an outside firm with expertise in the field to independently perform the supplemental analyses and calculations.