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Get the most interesting and important stories from the University of Pittsburgh.In fiscal year 2024, the University of Pittsburgh contracted with small businesses to the tune of some $477 million across a 10-county region of Western Pennsylvania.
It makes a huge impact because, like a small city, Pitt must purchase everything from scientific supplies and furniture to IT and design services, printing and more to advance its mission. As part of the Buy/Build/Hire Local initiative, a key component of the Plan for Pitt 2028, the University strengthens opportunities for local and small businesses to bolster their capacities and boost economic development across Pittsburgh neighborhoods and the region.
This is part of Pitt’s role as an economic anchor to the region, a commitment that is collaboratively supported by Strategic Sourcing; the Office of Human Resources; the Office of Planning, Design and Construction; the Office of Engagement and Community Affairs; and the Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
Another core partner in Pitt’s work as an economic anchor is the Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence (IEE). On May 16, IEE will host the ninth annual Doing Business with Pitt, a half-day gathering designed to prepare local small businesses to partner and contract with large institutions like the University so their companies can grow and scale up.
The event is expected to draw more than 100 businesses and interested clients from across 10 counties in Western Pennsylvania. Registration is now open.
Pitt wants to keep its spend within the state, according to Nicole Hudson, who works with Pitt’s IEE and Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
“This is an intentional effort that the University is making to support local small businesses and giving them the tools and resources that they need to be successful,” Hudson said.
Through strategic efforts aimed to advance procurement opportunities, local spend has increased, she added. Those dollars foster financial stability and sustainable growth for local businesses.
“We usually say if you can obtain a contract with Pitt, then you are prepared to gain other contractual opportunities with other large institutions or with institutions that have large procurement departments,” Hudson said.
This has been the journey for Wade Lipscomb, the founder and owner of Triple 3 Construction, opened four years ago in the Brookline neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
In 2022, Lipscomb first connected with Pitt through IEE’s BizFIT and its Community Power to Prosper program. There, he learned that running a commercial construction company requires far more than hiring carpenters and hanging drywall — it’s also about strategic planning, capacity building and leveraging relationships.
That same year, with just two carpenters on staff, he secured his first commercial contract with Pitt, for a $60,000 renovation at Biomedical Science Tower 3. The next year, he attended his first Doing Business with Pitt event.
Since connecting with the University, Triple 3 Construction has had at least one Pitt contract each year.
“In just two years,” Lipscomb said, “we've grown to 11 carpenters and are now pursuing projects more than 10 times [our original work].”
Beyond just contracts, he added, the partnership with Pitt has provided invaluable mentorship, networking and growth opportunities. Triple 3 is now a “protégé” in the new cohort for Pitt’s Mentor-Protégé program, partnering with mentor Gilbane, a global building and development company, for continued success.
Lipscomb will be speaking at the May 16 event, showcasing how it also aligns with the one-on-one consulting, educational opportunities and training that Pitt already provides for 1,400 small businesses. It’s just another way to “help guide them through their entrepreneurial journey,” said Hudson. Pitt’s IEE and SBDC consult across a range of businesses, from construction, manufacturing, technology and professional services all the way down to mom-and-pops that offer in-home catering or other handicraft services and products.
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New this year, “Pitt departments represented at the convening will talk about specific contract opportunities, upcoming requests for proposals and more,” said Jennifer Barnes, a supplier diversity and sustainability manager with Pitt’s strategic sourcing services.
Some of the departments presenting include Pitt Athletics, Pitt IT, Facilities Management and the University Store. Director of Strategic Sourcing Michelle Smith will deliver the keynote address, and representatives from Pitt’s payment processing and compliance team will share information, too.
In addition, entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to connect with Pitt’s Office of Engagement and Community Affairs on the work happening in Pittsburgh neighborhoods like Greater Hazelwood and Homewood. The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Pittsburgh District Office will be on-site to answer questions on certifications, training and federal contracting opportunities, and Pitt Business’ David Berg Center for Leadership and Ethics will have a table focused on consulting work and connecting Pitt students with local businesses.
“As a major institution with significant purchasing power, Pitt knows that increased business activity leads to job creation, supplier partnerships and reinvestment into the regional economy,” said Hudson. “We have to understand that more jobs lead to higher household income benefiting families and communities across the region.”
That’s the impact the IEE has in mind for Doing Business at Pitt, she added.
“We want our small businesses to grow to scale, to increase those different lines of income for themselves and their families. As we know, a lot of the local businesses that we work with are a one-man show or a two-man show, very family-oriented businesses,” Hudson said. “We’re looking to support them and other entrepreneurs at this event.”
A community-engaged anchor institution
The Anchor Initiatives are a suite of strategies developed to leverage the University’s role as an economic anchor to Southwestern Pennsylvania. An integral component to the Plan for Pitt, the Anchor Initiatives amplify Pitt’s regional impact in the areas of buying, building and hiring locally; community engagement and partnerships; placemaking; and workforce development. Learn more about Pitt’s Anchor Initiatives.
Photography courtesy of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence