Buffalo Purchasing Initiative Empowering more entrepreneurs, strengthening the econom

Across the Buffalo Niagara region, small businesses are finding new opportunities to grow and thrive through the new expansion of the Buffalo Purchasing Initiative (BPI).

Created by the Greater Buffalo Racial Equity Roundtable’s Business Leaders Task Force, the Buffalo Purchasing Initiative is a business cooperative that is financially supported and driven by 15 major employers in Western New York seeking to expand purchasing opportunities with small businesses in the Buffalo Niagara region. Those 15 employers are working together to strengthen inclusive workplace practices, and sharing resources and ideas to create connections and find new ways to increase capacity to support small businesses. BPI was created to open doors to small businesses that often do not have access to large local employers.

“The employers thought that the first effort they could embark on was looking at their own procurement practices and how they were making purchasing decisions. And that’s really the origin of BPI and how it was created,” said Mauricio Canton Diaz, Director, BPI.

To serve more small businesses, in late 2025, BPI expanded and is now including small businesses with fewer than 100 employees that are headquartered in the Buffalo Niagara region.

“The major employers know that there has never been a more important moment to invest in the entrepreneurial ecosystem in our community,” explained Mauricio. “The BPI creates opportunities for small businesses to connect directly with key decision makers within the member organizations. And as the region’s largest employers, they are deciding to double down on their investment in our region’s future, which is in the small businesses that are going to fuel our success for years to come.”

The BPI supports small businesses in several other ways, including:

• Hosting matchmaker events that provide local businesses the opportunity to showcase their goods and services to large employers.
• Coordinating networking events to provide opportunities for small businesses to connect with BPI members.
• Leveraging partnerships to create educational opportunities. For example, in 2025, the BPI hosted a program in partnership with the Small Business Development Center, where vendors learned how to develop an effective “elevator” pitch and PowerPoint presentation, and heard from speakers on topics ranging from insurance to digital marketing.

Mauricio notes that there are many success stories to come out of BPI. One example is Skincare Essentials by Jill, which makes organic, handcrafted skincare products. Through the BPI, Skincare Essentials by Jill was connected to Kaleida Health, a BPI member, that was looking for a skincare solution for their African American patients. Kaleida continued to expand its relationship, increasing orders with Skincare Essentials by Jill from $5,000 a year to $40,000 a year. To support this growth, the BPI ensured Skincare Essentials by Jill was connected to the Small Business Development Center, had a business plan in place, and secured proper credit and financing for the necessary equipment in order to manage their growth. Additionally, products from Skincare Essentials by Jill are now available in 12 Tops locations. Tops is also a new member of the Buffalo Purchasing Initiative.

As the BPI continues to expand its reach across Erie and Niagara counties, Mauricio connects its success back to the Racial Equity Roundtable. “It was the Roundtable that invited the business leaders to the table and encouraged them to think about what they could do internally to support local small businesses,” Mauricio said. “That work led to the BPI, whose model is serving as a connector between the purchasing member organizations, the small businesses, and the business support organizations in our community, which really gives us an opportunity to put Buffalo on a path to prosperity and resilience.”

While BPI proactively adds small businesses to its directory every month by reviewing available databases, small businesses can also take the lead on connecting with the BPI by visiting www.buffalopurchasing.org and filling out a form.