Councilors Wu and Pressley File Ordinance for Equity in Opportunity for City Contracts for Women- and Minority-Owned Businesses
The ordinance would require evaluation of all RFPs to include criteria for MWBE participation and quarterly reporting of data
BOSTON - Today Council President Michelle Wu and Councilor Ayanna Pressley filed an ordinance to amend the City of Boston’s procurement processes to encourage greater meaningful engagement with women- and minority-owned business enterprises (WMBE). The ordinance directs the City’s Small and Local Business Enterprise Office to create a supplier diversity program, do active outreach to WMBE regarding City needs and contracting processes, and encouraging them to apply. It also directs any and all requests for proposal (RFPs) that the City releases, as well as the evaluation process for such RFPs, to include WMBE participation as a key criterion.
“City government doesn’t just have a policy-making impact; we have an economic impact with every purchase and contract we make,” said Councilor Wu. “This ordinance will help align our spending with our policy priorities — to create opportunity in every neighborhood and pathways for economic mobility. We must take every action to invest in Boston’s small businesses and residents, especially those who for too long have been systematically marginalized.”
“The wealth gap continues to grow across the country and in our city with sharp contrasts along gender and racial lines,” Councilor Pressley said. “Closing that gap requires creating increased opportunities for women and people of color to build wealth. This ordinance looks to level the playing field for MWBEs and create an equity in opportunity, for all of our small businesses, to both contribute to the prosperity of our city and to benefit from it.”
The legislation will be assigned to committee during Wednesday’s City Council meeting. A public hearing will be held before a vote by the full Council.
