By Tashi McQueenAFRO Employees Writertmcqueen@afro.com
Maryland Division of Transportation (MDOT) Assistant Secretary Tony Bridges sat down with the AFRO to offer a preview of this yr’s Governor’s Minority and Small Enterprise Outreach Summit, which takes place on Nov. 19 from 8 a.m. to five p.m on the Hilton Baltimore Inside Harbor.
Photograph credit score: Photograph courtesy of the Workplace of the Governor
“It’s a day of networking for small, minority, ladies and veteran-owned companies to get an higher hand on how you can do procurement inside state authorities,” mentioned Bridges. “We don’t need to go away anybody behind in terms of procurement.”
Eric Solomon, director of communications for the Maryland Division of Normal Providers (DGS), helped give background to how this occasion got here to be and the way it will unfold.
“The Governor’s Enterprise Summit is a collaborative partnership between the Maryland Division of Transportation, the College System of Maryland and DGS,” mentioned Solomon. “Members may have the chance to satisfy face-to-face with state venture managers, procurement officers and key decision-makers from companies throughout Maryland to study precious details about the state’s procurement processes and contracting alternatives.”
This yr’s summit is predicted to garner round 800 minority-owned, native, small, women-owned and veteran-owned companies and dozens of prime contractors.
“The state has a purpose of 29 % for minority companies on state contracts, and this can be a approach for us to assist guarantee that these prime contractors are getting in contact and coordinating with these small and minority companies,” mentioned Bridges. “There might be over $7 billion price of procurement alternatives for the state that we are going to be speaking about at this one-day summit.”
Solomon elaborated on the place that $7 billion comes from.
“Between the three companies, the State of Maryland procures items and providers valued at over $7 billion yearly. DGS alone oversees over $1 billion in contracts annually,” mentioned Solomon. “In Fiscal 12 months 2024, DGS awarded Minority Enterprise Enterprises (MBE) over $144.8 million. Of that, $71.6 million have been made to women-owned companies and $13.7 million to veteran-owned companies.”
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Bridges mentioned a few of the options of this yr’s summit.
“The beauty of the convention is the workshops that we’ve got,” he mentioned. “We give recommendations on how you can navigate the procurement course of how you can navigate a successful bid.”
A type of workshops might be about addressing alternatives across the rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed on March 26.
“We may have the group that’s accountable for rebuilding the bridge doing one of many workshops to speak about upcoming alternatives for the bridge rebuild,” he mentioned. “These are actual alternatives that we wish individuals to make the most of.”
Bridges mentioned there might be procurement officers there as effectively.
“We’ve what’s known as ‘meet the primes,’ the place companies can meet with prime contractors, focus on contracts and upcoming procurement alternatives and begin basic conversations to make sure they’ve companions transferring ahead when reaching out to do bids,” he mentioned. M
MDOT is the state’s official certification company for companies trying to be acknowledged as a Minority Enterprise Enterprise (MBE), Deprived Enterprise Enterprise (DBE), Airport Concessions Deprived Enterprise Enterprise (ACDBE) or Small Enterprise Enterprise (SBE).
“We at the moment have over 9,700 minority companies which might be licensed right here within the State of Maryland, they usually all undergo the certification course of right here by way of the Division of Transportation,” mentioned Bridges.
Comptroller Brooke Lierman (D) spoke with the AFRO on the upcoming summit and what it may possibly present to Maryland’s financial system.
“As a member of the Board of Public Works, I frequently work to make sure we obtain the very best worth on our state contracts and that we’re intentional about the place and with whom we spend our cash,” mentioned Lierman. “I’m glad to see that state companies are conducting extra proactive, focused outreach to minority- and women-owned companies, and offering sources that can help them in changing into licensed as Minority Enterprise Enterprises.”
