Contact: Paul Vornholt
Mayor’s Office, 286-2200
Mayor Tom Barrett has made good on a promise made earlier this year to strengthen and improve the city’s Emerging Business Enterprise (EBE) program and expand its reach.
The EBE targets minority, women-owned, and other emerging businesses by increasing their participation in city procurement and contracting.
“Today, standing with this broad spectrum of civic, business, and city officials, I want to deliver on my promise to expand economic growth and business opportunity in every neighborhood and every community in this great city,” said Mayor Barrett.
The Mayor announced that the City would seek proposals for a contractor to research and analyze the City’s certification, procurement and contracting policies and procedures to determine whether the EBE program is effective in meeting the needs of the emerging business community. The study will call for recommendations on how to increase the number of certified firms to intensify the participation rate on City contracts.
“We must address the historical underutilized participation of minority and women owned firms in our own contracts. The demographics of the city have shifted considerably over the last ten years, and our programs and services should reflect those changes,” said Mayor Barrett.
The Mayor was joined by Alderman Willie Wade, Henry Hamilton (NAACP), city department officials, and over 35 EBE’s who participated in developing the initiative.
