Inside Rochester’s $250M Supplier Opportunity: What the Upstate NY Supplier Engagement Summit Revealed
- Connected Know
- Feb 4
- 3 min read
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Business owners, procurement leaders, and public-sector buyers gathered Wednesday at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center for the 2026 Upstate New York Supplier Engagement Summit, a full-day event focused on expanding access, visibility, and opportunity for diverse suppliers across the region.
Hosted in downtown Rochester, the summit brought together minority-owned, women-owned, and service-disabled veteran–owned businesses with representatives from local governments, agencies, and large organizations seeking qualified suppliers. The event emphasized practical pathways to certification, contracting readiness, and long-term supplier relationships, an increasingly important focus as public-sector spending tied to diversity goals continues to grow.
The summit comes at a pivotal moment for Upstate New York’s supplier ecosystem. Monroe County estimates its annual spend with diverse suppliers at approximately $125 million, while the City of Rochester reported $141.9 million in supplier diversity spending in 2025. Those figures underscore the scale of opportunity available to certified businesses that are prepared to compete for government and institutional contracts.
Monroe County has established clear diversity procurement targets, setting participation goals of 13% for Minority Business Enterprises (MBE), 3% for Women Business Enterprises (WBE), and 6% for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses (SDVOB). For suppliers in attendance, the summit served not only as an educational forum but as a roadmap for aligning their businesses with these goals.
Throughout the day, attendees participated in workshops and information sessions focused on certification processes, navigating public procurement, and building relationships with buyers. Just as importantly, the summit created space for direct connection. This allowed suppliers to engage face-to-face with decision-makers responsible for awarding contracts and managing vendor pipelines.
The event reinforced a key message for regional founders and small business owners: supplier diversity is not a symbolic initiative, but a measurable, budget-backed priority. For businesses that invest the time to become certified, build operational readiness, and understand how public procurement works, the opportunity is both real and growing.
For many attendees, the summit also highlighted the value of no-cost and low-cost public resources available to help businesses take the next step, from certification assistance to procurement training and technical support. These tools can be especially impactful for early-stage and growing companies that may not yet have experience working with government or institutional buyers.
The summit featured a series of targeted breakout workshops led by regional procurement and economic development leaders, offering attendees practical guidance on contracting, certification, and supplier readiness. Sessions included:
Navigating New York State Contracting, led by Laura Wharton, Business Development Analyst at Empire State Development, focused on understanding state procurement pathways and compliance requirements.
Building Strategic Partnerships, featuring Kathy Rooney, Diversity & Community Engagement Manager at The Pike Company, and Stephanie Pennington, Director of DEI & Supplier Diversity at LeChase Construction, who shared insights on how suppliers can position themselves for long-term relationships with large private-sector buyers.
Get Procurement Ready, led by Anna Vulaj Fitzsimmons, Program Director at the Monroe County/Upstate NY APEX Accelerator, and Virginia Smith, Deputy District Director at the U.S. Small Business Administration, highlighting the operational, financial, and documentation standards buyers expect from contract-ready businesses.
Doing Business with Anchor Institutions, a session focused on contracting opportunities with major regional buyers, featuring Debbie Flotteron, Associate Director of Operations at the University of Rochester; Timothy Howard, Director of Purchasing for the City of Rochester; and Matthew Burrell, Supplier Diversity Manager for Monroe County.
As Rochester and Monroe County continue to formalize and expand supplier diversity efforts, events like the Upstate NY Supplier Engagement Summit play a critical role in bridging the gap between policy goals and business participation.
For founders, operators, and professional service firms across the region, the takeaway was clear: understanding the system, getting certified, and showing up matters—and the market is large enough to reward those who do.
Here is were to find current vendor opportunities for the City of Rochester and Monroe County:
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