DE BLASIO ADMINISTRATION REACHES MILESTONE GOAL OF 9,000 CITY-CERTIFIED M/WBES

The number of City-certified M/WBEs has doubled since Mayor de Blasio created the Mayor’s Office of M/WBEs in 2016

  Mayor Bill de Blasio and Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives and Citywide M/WBE Director J. Phillip Thompson announced today that the City reached its goal of 9,000 City-certified Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) by the end of June 2019. This represents a doubling of the certified pool in less than three years, achieving an ambitious goal set by Mayor de Blasio in 2016. The milestone achievement comes on the heels of state and city legislation that will further advance economic opportunity for City M/WBEs. 9000 City-certified M/WBEs also puts the administration on track to award 30 percent of the value of all City contracts to M/WBEs by 2021.

“If our economy isn’t inclusive, then it’s not working as it should,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “That’s why under my Administration we’ve increased M/WBE certification 145% and have awarded over $11 billion in contracts to a diverse workforce. But we’re not finished. We urge Governor Cuomo to sign the M/WBE bills to help us further build a fairer city where no one is left behind.”

“By investing in the acquisition and growth of City-certified minority and women-owned businesses, the de Blasio Administration is advancing the values of an inclusive economy in which all New Yorkers are provided with quality business and workforce opportunities,” said J. Phillip Thompson, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives and Citywide M/WBE Director. “With 9,000 M/WBEs now city-certified, we urge the Governor to sign into a law a bill that would help address long-standing disparities and issues of access for certain communities.”

“This Administration will continue to work diligently to increase access, close the disparity gap, and deliver results for City M/WBEs,” said Jonnel Doris, Senior Advisor and Director of the Mayor’s Office of M/WBEs. “I am proud that we have more than doubled the number of City-certified M/WBE firms, reaching the Mayor’s goal to certify 9,000 firms. We will continue to implement new initiatives to lower barriers to entry, level the playing and increase opportunities for M/WBEs to successfully compete in our market.”

“Achieving Mayor de Blasio’s ambitious goal of certifying 9,000 M/WBEs is a direct result of our commitment to diversity and opening doors to opportunity for minority and women-owned businesses across NYC,” said Gregg Bishop, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. “As we hit this target, the door is still open. I encourage all minority and women-owned businesses to get certified and take advantage of all the supportive services that the City has to offer.”

Under Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York City has made an unprecedented commitment M/WBEs to address historic disparities in City contracting by providing them with increased opportunities to do business with the City.

Between the program’s inception in 1992 and this Administration coming into office in 2014, the City certified 3,670 M/WBEs. In the five years since Mayor de Blasio took office, the Administration has more than doubled the number certified, hitting its 2016 goal of 9,000 by July 2019.

Since July 2014, Local Law 1 contract awards to M/WBEs have increased from 9,163 contracts for a total value of $491 million, to 12,189 contracts worth nearly $1.1 billion in FY2018, representing an increase of 33% and 118%, respectively.

This March, the City announced a state legislative proposal to increase discretionary spending for purchases from M/WBEs from $150,000 to $1 million, with an anticipated impact of approximately 30-50 percent or $300-$500 million annually in awards to M/WBEs in that size range.

In May, the City announced an easier path to contracting with the City for minority and women-owned businesses through an improved online certification portal, called SBS Connect. The City also offers free services to help strengthen certified M/WBEs, including access to technical assistance, bonding, financing, teaming and mentorship.

In June, the State Legislature passed S6418A/A8407 sponsored by State Senator Kevin Parker and Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte, which would give the City of New York the authority to increase economic opportunities for Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs). If signed into law, the City would be able to make discretionary awards to M/WBEs of up to $500,000. A higher discretionary threshold will increase M/WBEs’ access to more City projects that also are larger in scale. The bill would also allow the City to implement other key programs already available to M/WBEs at the State level such as a mentorship program and prequalified lists.

Firms interested in getting City-certified should visit sbsconnect.nyc.gov to complete the application.  For application assistance, visit one of the City's seven NYC Business Solutions Centers located in all five boroughs.