NYC businesses owned by women and people of color get tiny share of city contract spending, report says
Even for procurement that was subject to M/WBE participation goals, businesses owned by women and people of color won contracts representing less than 10 percent of contract spending. “With stronger management and coordination, we can reverse these unacceptable trends and move toward fairness in City contracting,” he added.
And just 20 percent of M/WBEs had a contract, purchase order or approved subcontract registered by the city, the report found. More than half of the contracts awarded to those businesses were registered late, posing a “particular challenge for smaller firms without sufficient working capital to endure long wait times for payment,” the report noted.
Lander laid out a series of recommendations to diversify city contracting, including surveying certified M/WBEs to better understand why many don’t do business with the city and strengthening tools to connect M/WBEs to contracting opportunities.