For those companies which wish to diversify their supply chain by including more black owned SMMEs, a collaborative solution may be created with Black Umbrellas whereby appropriate 100% black owned Clients which meet the companies’ supply chain needs are identified via the companies’ supplier databases, Blackpages and the existing clients within the Black Umbrellas programme and a managed supplier development solution be provided via the Black Umbrellas incubator.

 The managed supplier development solution will ensure the risk to companies in bringing new suppliers into their supply chain will be minimised via the systems and processes already operating within the Black Umbrellas programme, namely:

• a rigorous selection program that includes credit and criminal checks to ensure the most appropriate clients are selected;
• a training and personalised mentoring program that includes benchmarks on business plans which the clients prepare themselves thus ensuring each client is properly prepared and supported to deliver the level of service, quality and pricing required;
• rigorous monthly financial accounts provided for every client in the program which enables the corporate suppliers to see the economic benefit provided by the procurement opportunities provided to the clients;
• a monthly evaluation of the progress and sustainability of each client;
• supporting the clients with services and infrastructure such as telecoms, use of vehicle, internet and e-mail etc.

The supplier development programme would also provide significant B-BBEE scorecard benefits to a participating company as they would be able to claim 125% of the amounts contributed to Black Umbrellas for enterprise development purposes and would be able to claim 132% of any procurement from clients within the programme.