Healey-Driscoll
Administration Expands State Spending Benchmarks
to LGBT and Disability-Owned
Supplier
Diversity Office launches new interactive online map to connect state
agencies, cities, towns, bidders and contractors with diverse business partners
BOSTON – The Healey-Driscoll
Administration today announced two new initiatives aimed at expanding
opportunities for diverse and small businesses to provide goods and services to
state agencies and local governments. The administration is updating
the Commonwealth’s Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) to include spending
benchmarks for LGBT-owned Business Enterprises (LGBTBE) and
Disability-owned Business Enterprises (DOBE) in the Commonwealth’s Supplier
Diversity Program (SDP) for the first time. It is
also implementing a new interactive
online map that
will help state agencies, cities, towns, prime bidders and
contractors identify certified diverse business partners.
“Massachusetts is home to so
many wonderful diverse and small businesses who are truly the
backbone of our communities and our economy. Our administration is committed
to increasing opportunities for them to do business with the state,
which will not only help their businesses grow but will also support the
state’s equitable economic development,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We are proud to be
expanding the state’s spending benchmarks to include businesses owned by
LGBTQIA+ individuals and individuals with disabilities, as well as implementing
a new tool to make it easier for organizations to connect with diverse
business partners.”
“As a former Mayor, I saw
firsthand how our local economy thrived thanks to the hard work and
contributions of diverse and small businesses,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Our administration is
proud to be taking this important and long overdue step to codify
spending benchmarks for businesses owned by LGBTQIA+ individuals and
individuals with disabilities, as well as launching a new online tool that
we believe will be critical to helping us meet these goals.”
“The state has been a
leader in expanding opportunities to diverse communities and now is
the time to set clear goals around purchasing from certified LGBTBE and DOBE businesses,”
said Administration
and Finance Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz.
New Benchmarks
The Supplier Diversity
Office (SDO) promotes equity of opportunity in the procurement and
purchase of goods and services by State Executive Agencies for DOBEs, LGBTBEs,
Minority (MBE), Women (WBE), Veteran (VBE) and Service-Disabled Veteran
(SDVOBE) owned businesses. However, LGBTQBE and DOBE are currently the only
categories without established benchmarks.
As of July 1, state agencies will
work towards purchasing $18 million from LGBT-owned businesses and $18 million
from businesses owned by individuals with disabilities during Fiscal Year 2024.
After evaluating purchasing against these benchmarks over the next year, the
Administration will set new goals for Fiscal Year 2025.
In 2015, the SDO expanded to
include Veteran (VBE), Disability (DOBE), and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgender (LGBTBE) owned businesses, which made Massachusetts the most
inclusive state supplier diversity program in the nation. At the time, no
benchmark was set for DOBE or LGBTBE spending as those certification categories
were new, and the Commonwealth needed to develop certified vendor capacity.
In FY2016, the SDO began
recognizing DOBE and LGBTBE certifications issued by reputable third-party
certification organizations, such as Disability:IN and the National LGBT
Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), which resulted in the recognition of more than 100
DOBEs and LGBTBEs.
The SDO has previously
implemented benchmarks for Minority Business Enterprises, Women Business
Enterprises, Veteran Business Enterprises, and Small Businesses.
New Online Map
The Administration also unveiled the
Massachusetts Certified Business Map, a new interactive online map that
will help state agencies, cities, towns, and prime bidders and
contractors locate certified diverse business partners based on location as
well as other criteria.
Users can search by in-state and
out of state, county, city or town, certification type, and by business name. This can be especially helpful for
projects needing subcontractors who do business in a certain area of the state. Displayed information includes
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) business count, State business count,
and counts by certification type, for-profit and non-profit, and business
nature type.
The map is the SDO’s latest
innovation to increase equity in state purchasing. Since becoming a new agency
in 2021, the SDO has introduced the Supplier Diversity Hub, a powerful network that
streamlines communication between state agencies, cities, towns, prime
contractors and diverse and small businesses, the Resources Webpage for Diverse
and Small Businesses, the Municipal Supplier Diversity
Playbook and
the SDO Means Business model, which provides resources and
tools to eliminate barriers and uplift diverse and small businesses.
These announcements come after
the SDO issued their FY2022 Annual Report, which reported growth in
spending with diverse and small businesses and the number of certified
businesses as well as other new programs and initiatives.
About the Supplier Diversity
Office
The SDO promotes diversity,
equity, and inclusion in state contracting for businesses owned by minorities,
women, Portuguese, veterans, service-disabled veterans, those with a
disability, and LGBT individuals, as well as small Massachusetts businesses. It
certifies these historically disadvantaged businesses and manages several
programs and provides resources that help their marketability when bidding on
public contracts. To learn more about Supplier Diversity Office
certification, programs, and resources, go to www.Mass.gov/SDO.
Statements of Support
Grace Moreno, Executive Director,
Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce
“The LGBTQ+ community has long
been a contributing important part of the Commonwealth’s economy. We look
forward to working with the Healey-Driscoll administration to make the state’s
procurement of goods and services more fair and equitable. Governor Healey
recognizes that an important way to lure businesses to Massachusetts is to show
that our state is a welcoming place to do business for all people, including
those identifying as LGBTQ. This announcement is yet another step in that
direction. It helps LGBTQ businesses grow and thrive in Massachusetts while
helping to expand our economy. Yet again, Governor Healey is walking the walk,
not just talking the talk to advance the interests of LGBTQ businesses.”
Joe Bellil, Vice President of
Public Affairs and Youth Services, Easterseals
“Establishing a spending
benchmark for Disability-owned businesses in Massachusetts is a key step
towards creating a more equitable and inclusive economy. By supporting these
businesses, the Commonwealth is investing in the talents, skills, and potential
of individuals with disabilities.”
Charles Carr, Legislative
Liaison, Disability Policy Consortium
“With a 30% unemployment rate in
the disability community, this is a huge boost for those who are employed and
desperately need new business. Furthermore, it will encourage people with
disabilities who are leaning toward self-employment to make the move knowing
that there will be support in the Healey/ Driscoll administration regarding
benchmarking funding to open a business.”
Bill Henning, Executive Director
of the Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL)
“I commend this initiative.
Greater inclusion in the state’s economic engine builds an underpinning for
inclusion in society at large for persons with disabilities.”
Jill Houghton, President and CEO, Disability:IN
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