MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO DESIGN AND CONDUCT DISPARITY STUDY

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO DESIGN AND CONDUCT DISPARITY STUDY

Disparity study will serve as the foundation for future equity-based policies, building on Mayor Walsh's 2016 Inclusion and Equity Agenda

BOSTON - Wednesday, October 11, 2017 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the City of Boston has released a  request for proposals (RFP) to provide technical and administrative support for the development of a citywide disparity study. The RFP seeks a consultant to work with the Mayor's Office of Economic Development to design and conduct a disparity study in an effort to identify and address gaps, and ultimately strengthen the City's procurement practices across all departments and provide an enhanced platform for future equity-based policies. "Equity is not only essential to achieving a just society, but it's also a strategic imperative for our economy," said Mayor Walsh. "This study, along with the tools at our disposal, will allow us to provide leadership in equitable procurement opportunities and enact policies that will help Bostonians grow small businesses, gain training and better access to good jobs, and create wealth." The consultant will design and conduct a study to examine the extent to which disparities exists in the City's utilization of qualified minority and women-owned enterprises (MWBEs) as contractors and subcontractors, through departmental procurement practices, and of qualified female and minority workers and their work on City construction projects and on large City-assisted construction projects. Once complete, the study will give City leaders a more formal understanding of the marketplace of companies eligible to provide goods and services and who can contract with the City. "With the Imagine Boston 2030 plan laid out and implementation strategies underway, we will continue to prioritize raising ladders of opportunity for all residents as Boston's economy transforms and grows," said John Barros, Chief of Economic Development. "This study is on course with the Walsh Administration's track record of creating pathways for upward economic mobility and serve as the foundation for the City's future equity-based policies." This study will build on progress made through the City's Economic Inclusion and Equity Agenda , which helps policymakers strengthen or adjust current policy to further remedy disparities, and implement strategies outlined in Imagine Boston 2030, the first City-wide plan in over 50 years. The study will also complement current initiatives the City is taking to provide pathways to quality careers and strengthen wealth-building policies, notably cross-certification  to streamline certification for minority and women owned businesses with the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, increased targets for the Boston Residents Job Policy, and  small business technical assistance and lending programs. The downloadable version of the RFP is available here. A Proposers' Conference to answer any questions will be held Wednesday, October 25, 2017 at 2:30 p.m, in the BPDA Board Room on the 9th Floor of City Hall. Responses will be due no later than 12:00 p.m. on Friday, November 3, 2017. About the Mayor's Office of Economic Development The Economic Development Cabinet's mission is to make Boston an appealing and accessible place for working families, entrepreneurs, businesses, and investors to innovate, grow, and thrive in a way that fosters inclusion, broadens opportunity, and shares prosperity, thereby enhancing the quality of life for all Bostonians and the experience for all visitors. Learn more on their website.