President Obama Announces New Partnership with the Private Sector to Strengthen America’s Small Businesses

 Renews the Federal Government’s QuickPay Initiative

26 Companies Committed to SupplierPay Initiative

As a part of his Year of Action, the President is using the power of his pen and phone wherever he can on behalf of the American people to create jobs and help hard-working Americans get ahead. Today, the President will announce the creation of SupplierPay, a new partnership with the private sector to strengthen small businesses by increasing their working capital, so they can grow their businesses and hire more workers. 

To launch SupplierPay, the President is bringing together 26 companies – both large and small – that have committed to the initiative.  For the larger companies, joining SupplierPay demonstrates a recognition that a healthy supply chain is good for business.  For the small business suppliers, benefiting from SupplierPay means having more capital to invest in new opportunities, new equipment, and new hiring.

President Obama, Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, National Economic Council Director Jeff Zients, and Small Business Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet will host a meeting at the White House today with these businesses and their suppliers to discuss what more can be done to strengthen small businesses, building on the successes of the QuickPay program.

SupplierPay builds on the success of the Federal Government’s QuickPay initiative, which President Obama launched in 2011. QuickPay requires federal agencies to expedite payments to small business contractors with the goal of paying within 15 days.  As a result of QuickPay, we have already seen well over $1 billion in cost savings for small businesses since 2011, leading to greater investment and job creation. SupplierPay is the private sector’s equivalent, where companies have committed to pay small suppliers faster or help them get access to lower cost capital.

Also today, the President is renewing QuickPay for federal small business subcontractors, where the government pays its large contractors faster and, in return, requires them to pay their small business subcontractors faster. QuickPay for small business subcontractors, which began in 2012, was only available temporarily for many small business subcontractors.  Today’s announcement means faster payment for all small business subcontractors and even more business opportunities, more investment in small businesses, and more hiring.

The following companies have signed on to SupplierPay: 

Apple                                AT&T                          Authentix                    Cardinal Health          

Coca-Cola                         CVS                            Ericsson                       FedEx

Honda                               IBM                            Intuit                           Johnson & Johnson

Kelly Services                   Lockheed Martin        Milliken                       Molina Healthcare

Nissan                               PG&E                         Philips                          Rolls Royce    

Rothschild North America                                    Salesforce                    Textura           

Toyota                               Walgreens                  Westinghouse Electric Company