Verizon is developing the next generation of small businesses to power the telecommunications supply chain. To qualify for the program, your business must meet the following criteria:

• U.S. Registration: You must be a legally registered U.S. business in good standing. (International small businesses are not eligible at this time)

• The Prerequisites: You must complete the required introductory, primer courses on the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready portal.

• Small Business Verification: Small Business Verification: You must prove your small business status under the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Size Standards. To meet this requirement, you must have an active all-award registration as a  small business using  your primary NAICS Code in sam.gov and appear in the SBA’s Small Business Search database, or possess an active small business certification issued by the SBA. Here are instructions on self-certifying in sam.gov and accepted alternative certification to prove your business meets the program qualifications.

• Industry Alignment: Your primary NAICS code must fall within our targeted sectors, including:

Subsector 236 – Construction of Buildings

Subsector 237 – Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction

Subsector 238 – Specialty Trade Contractors

Subsector 322 – Paper Manufacturing

Subsector 323 – Printing and Related Support Activities

Subsector 326 – Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing

Subsector 333 – Machinery Manufacturing

Subsector 334 – Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing

Subsector 335 – Electrical Equipment, Appliance and Component Manufacturing

Subsector 336 – Transportation Equipment Manufacturing

Subsector 339 – Miscellaneous Manufacturing

Subsector 423 – Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods

Subsector 424 – Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods

Subsector 441 – Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers

Subsector 449 - Furniture, Home Furnishings, Electronics, and Appliance Retailers

Subsector 481 – Air Transportation

Subsector 482 – Rail Transportation

Subsector 483 – Water Transportation

Subsector 484 – Truck Transportation

Subsector 485 – Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation

Subsector 488 – Support Activities for Transportation

Subsector 491 – Postal Service

Subsector 492 – Couriers and Messengers

Subsector 493 – Warehousing and Storage

Subsector 511 – Software Publishers

Subsector 512 – Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries

Subsector 513 – Publishing Industries

Subsector 516 – Broadcasting and Content Providers

Subsector 517 – Telecommunications

Subsector 518 –Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services

Subsector 519 – Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services

Subsector 522 – Credit Intermediation and Related Activities

Subsector 523 – Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities

Subsector 524 – Insurance Carriers and Related Activities

Subsector 531 – Real Estate

Subsector 532 – Rental and Leasing Services

Subsector 533 – Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works)

Subsector 541 – Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

Subsector 551 – Management of Companies and Enterprises

Subsector 561 – Administrative and Support Services

Subsector 562 – Waste Management and Remediation Services

Subsector 611 – Educational Services

Subsector 722 – Food Services and Drinking Places

Subsector 811 – Repair and Maintenance

However, the telecommunications industry moves fast, and true innovators don't always fit neatly into a government classification. If your business directly powers the telecommunications supply chain but your specific NAICS subsector is not on our current list, make your case. Contact our team at smallbizsupplieraccelerator@verizon.com.

Please note: Listed NAICS subsectors represent general areas of procurement interest and are subject to change based on business needs. A matching NAICS subsector does not constitute pre-qualification, eligibility, or a guarantee of a contract award.

Your progress toward contract readiness is entirely self-paced, but this is a performance-driven program - not an open-ended membership. Verizon’s sponsorship concludes after 18 months. After 18 months, participants can continue to access the platform, if they choose, with a monthly fee paid to IMPACT Ready™ 

Your business’s journey moves at the speed of your ambition. The platform tracks your operational maturity using a metric called a RESI™ score, created by IMPACT Ready™. The key milestone is a score of 65. Leveling up to this score showcases that your organization has completed the foundational prep, immediately unlocking tailored networking, mentorship resources, and more. 

Please note: Participation in or qualification for the IMPACT Ready™ platform does not constitute vendor registration with Verizon, nor does it waive, replace, or substitute for Verizon’s formal vendor vetting and procurement processes. Impact Ready's private paid services and commercial offerings are independent products and are not owned, managed, operated, or endorsed by Verizon.

Participation in the Verizon Small Business Supplier Accelerator is entirely optional. A company does not need to enroll in or complete this program to be considered eligible to do business with Verizon.

Verizon is continually looking for qualified small businesses to support our contingent staffing needs. Small Business Supplier Accelerator helps build visibility and capacity within our broader supplier ecosystem; it does not replace our standard vendor onboarding processes.

Please note: Verizon Small Business Supplier Accelerator is an educational and capacity-building resource. Participating in Verizon Small Business Supplier Accelerator does not constitute an automatic enrollment or pre-qualification as a vendor, or guarantee of business with Verizon.

No, participation in the Verizon Small Business Supplier Accelerator is not required to win a contract with us. You can absolutely submit a bid on your own. 

The Accelerator is specifically designed to build your capacity to compete in enterprise supply chains. Going through the program and securing a vetted and verified profile isn't just about taking courses—it demonstrates  your operational maturity. It acts as a strong signal to our procurement teams that your business is ready to handle the weight of a corporate contract.

Whether your goal is to contract with Verizon, pursue joint ventures, or secure subcontracts under a large prime supplier, the Accelerator focuses on scaling and demonstrating your operational readiness.

Please note: Verizon Small Business Supplier Accelerator is an educational and capacity-building resource. Program participation  does not constitute an automatic enrollment or pre-qualification as a vendor, or guarantee of business with Verizon.

Verizon has committed to spend $5 billion to US small business suppliers through the end of 2030, and the Verizon Small Business Supplier Accelerator is a pathway to expand the pipeline of capable small business suppliers. IMPACT Ready™ aims to help small businesses to demonstrate their operational and financial readiness and to build their business acumen by providing operational infrastructure resources and tools. 

Please note: Participation does not guarantee eligibility, response selection, or future contract awards with Verizon or any other entity. Participation in or qualification for the IMPACT Ready™ platform does not constitute vendor registration with Verizon, nor does it waive, replace, or substitute for Verizon’s formal vendor vetting and procurement processes. IMPACT Ready™ 's private paid services and commercial offerings are independent products and are not owned, managed, operated, or endorsed by Verizon.

Participation in the Verizon Small Business Supplier Accelerator is entirely optional. A company does not need to enroll in or complete this program to be considered eligible to do business with Verizon. 

The Verizon Small Business Supplier Accelerator aims to be a pathway for Verizon to expand its pipeline of capable small business suppliers and to connect participants and interested Prime suppliers. The platform’s score measures milestones within this specific capacity-building platform and does not constitute an official Verizon qualification, endorsement, or guarantee of a contract award. 

Please note: Placement in any tier does not constitute pre-qualification, endorsement, or a guarantee of a contract award with Verizon or its partners.

No. Reaching the Advance tier earns you visibility and access, not an automatic bid.

A high score proves you have navigated the capacity-building modules, but your profile must pass strict validation checks to confirm your documentation. Once your profile is fully verified, you unlock the enterprise sourcing arena:

• Visibility: You gain access to view active opportunities on the dashboard.

• Strategy: You can utilize built-in support tools to evaluate if a posting aligns with your true capabilities.

• Action: You decide which contracts you want to aggressively pursue.

We give you the intelligence and the access. You still have to earn the win.

Please note: Visibility into the opportunities dashboard does not constitute an automatic enrollment, pre-qualification, or guarantee of a contract award.

We use NAICS codes as a strategic filter to ensure we aren't wasting your time.

We restrict eligibility to specific NAICS codes because we are actively engineering the next generation of telecommunications suppliers. We only want to build your capacity if you operate in a sector where Verizon is actively spending money. If your code matches our list, it means you are within the category of suppliers we need to power the industry forward.

However, the industry moves fast, and true innovators don't always fit neatly into a government classification. If your business directly powers the telecommunications supply chain but your specific NAICS subsector is not on our current list, make your case. Contact our team directly at smallbizsupplieraccelerator@verizon.com.

Please note: Listed NAICS codes represent general areas of procurement interest and are subject to change based on business needs. A matching NAICS code does not constitute

The Verizon Small Business Supplier Accelerator is open to eligible U.S. small businesses nationwide. Verizon’s $5 billion supply chain commitment spans the entire country, and we are sourcing capable suppliers from every state.

While we do have dedicated spend goals in specific markets like California and New York, we welcome all eligible small businesses across the U.S. to participate.

However, if you do operate in CA or NY, we strongly advise securing state-level certifications—such as registering with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) or New York State supplier programs. These certifications act as a force multiplier, significantly enhancing your visibility and alignment within those specific enterprise procurement ecosystems.

Please note: Participation in the Verizon Small Business Supplier Accelerator or holding state-specific certifications does not guarantee pre-qualification, selection, or a contract award with Verizon.