Boston: Mayor Michelle Wu Hosts the First Annual Scaled Impact Celebration

Mayor Michelle Wu and the City of Boston's Department of Supplier Diversity yesterday hosted the first annual Scaled Impact Celebration. This event, which took place at Faneuil Hall, highlighted the important progress the City of Boston is making towards building a more inclusive economy leveraging procurement opportunities. Scaled Impact celebrated five departments committed to equity in contracting and the 27 graduates of the Supplying Capital and Leveraging Education (SCALE) program.

"Boston's small businesses keep our city running, strengthen our economy, and anchor our neighborhoods," said Mayor Michelle Wu. With the SCALE Program, we are removing barriers and investing in the businesses that serve our residents and families every day. I'm thrilled to recognize the participating small, local businesses in this inaugural cohort and look forward to building on our efforts to make Boston a home for everyone."

Every year, the City spends more than $1 billion on contracts—from community events like Open Streets, to trash collection, to providing meals for Boston Public School students. The Department of Supplier Diversity works to ensure that small and local minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses have the tools and resources they need to competitively bid on these contracts.

Supplying Capital and Leveraging Education (SCALE) is a grant and technical assistance program designed for small businesses in specific industries (snow removal and landscaping, food and dining services, design and architectural services, and construction). The 27 diverse Boston-based businesses selected for the SCALE program received a grant award of up to $200,000 and engaged in a six month course on capacity building and business expansion with City-selected industry technical assistance providers.

At Scaled Impact, the Department of Supplier Diversity celebrated all SCALE grantees. The following businesses graduated from SCALE.

Construction: Tradeswork

• Better Together Brain Trust (Roxbury)
• Boston BuildHERS LLC (South Boston)
• Golden Key Advisors LLC (Jamaica Plain)
• Truecraft Drywall and Painting (Dorchester)
• MVS Welding LLC (Mattapan)

Construction: General Contracting

• Atomic Ant Construction, Inc. (Hyde Park)
• Bleu Line Designs (Back Bay)
• CAAN Fence Inc. (Dorchester)
• Desmond Tech, LLC (Dorchester)
• Nicoya Construction (Roxbury)

Design and Architectural Services

• Brown Sardina, Inc. (Charlestown)
• Delta Wye Critical Solutions, LLC (Back Bay)
• Joy Squared Design, Inc. (East Boston)
• Saam Architecture, LLC (North End)
• Studio Luz Architects, Ltd. (Roslindale)
• ZeroEnergy Design (North End)

Food and Dining Services

• Ariana Restaurant, Inc. (Allston)
• Bono Restaurant and Catering (East Boston)
• House of Seven Café & Bakery (https://5twmznuab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001bfstXAwnULX4JQKAaIJVg0bQ_6llXuJ7VX9QtyPAAFVTKx94kIRoe516f76Jr8JIoTps39w2K3f4rbyl0DtR3GRJuLcVe4T9PrbpcyIuCmBrZBanw-czA-6WaX5oTERLuv80NGvJ8c81aHMqNpVnMO8ycxKrO_px&c=-ch64BA-YjgUwXpRaXTy6nMWq5lAadnzhXr9nSZ6eOIWyLNsHKnhwA==&ch=Tvbvl33geJFZY92CPysvnavRLPFzVUijfP2NMdOr8zgroNI6jP1_0A) (Dorchester)
• Super Bien (https://5twmznuab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001bfstXAwnULX4JQKAaIJVg0bQ_6llXuJ7VX9QtyPAAFVTKx94kIRoe516f76Jr8JIDnlT_Elsd832Vuv2WR8G3Y7L1v_yQB9nnxTojH-o0NqOnUwhlC74D5_aj0EMWN9np-fiUFkMF-wDTgUVQM1iNahPGzK5q3J2&c=-ch64BA-YjgUwXpRaXTy6nMWq5lAadnzhXr9nSZ6eOIWyLNsHKnhwA==&ch=Tvbvl33geJFZY92CPysvnavRLPFzVUijfP2NMdOr8zgroNI6jP1_0A) (Brighton)
• Ula Cafe (https://5twmznuab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001bfstXAwnULX4JQKAaIJVg0bQ_6llXuJ7VX9QtyPAAFVTKx94kIRoe516f76Jr8JIGZJOtwibBWsi8FSzShCZzDEUgXmH9RDK0hnOCHZka4eq2HsbWRhntXTwr0pX7TTnCzjOKq6oOicVvl2VRrkanw==&c=-ch64BA-YjgUwXpRaXTy6nMWq5lAadnzhXr9nSZ6eOIWyLNsHKnhwA==&ch=Tvbvl33geJFZY92CPysvnavRLPFzVUijfP2NMdOr8zgroNI6jP1_0A) (Jamaica Plain)
• Vision's Sown-The Ancient Bakers (https://5twmznuab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001bfstXAwnULX4JQKAaIJVg0bQ_6llXuJ7VX9QtyPAAFVTKx94kIRoe516f76Jr8JIpfdVHDh1fwvinJHqsZaEumrq69cH42jQJwkBzOatMKeqGQpf_Gz7_9QCV2QyHvuGS9Jm-_cIMxcOVZbAaxSh8wY6xM6es9IK&c=-ch64BA-YjgUwXpRaXTy6nMWq5lAadnzhXr9nSZ6eOIWyLNsHKnhwA==&ch=Tvbvl33geJFZY92CPysvnavRLPFzVUijfP2NMdOr8zgroNI6jP1_0A) (Mission Hill)

Snow Removal and Landscaping

• A & M Home Services LLC (Roxbury)
• Earthshapers Cooperative Inc (https://5twmznuab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001bfstXAwnULX4JQKAaIJVg0bQ_6llXuJ7VX9QtyPAAFVTKx94kIRoe516f76Jr8JIRYAxVvaV-hSoDdoyd9FENdJB17brB0cnBpEFK92psdpjpSsZkuOzCXjDobshWGtGKcMq_LCkdsKJSz7scxHIfMcSk0LEKt8S5V7Ze4ieHFE=&c=-ch64BA-YjgUwXpRaXTy6nMWq5lAadnzhXr9nSZ6eOIWyLNsHKnhwA==&ch=Tvbvl33geJFZY92CPysvnavRLPFzVUijfP2NMdOr8zgroNI6jP1_0A) (Dorchester)
• Edwards Group, LLC (https://5twmznuab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001bfstXAwnULX4JQKAaIJVg0bQ_6llXuJ7VX9QtyPAAFVTKx94kIRoe516f76Jr8JIsVTku_MV7iaeHUWjt3kq62TLnjvRdmcpBj9L3_4ltNdzcN1C8ZGAmBGqRdhaBZz08ndf6WbPDcDE3aO1PLDO8GcFGBEtmXDsg5Em3fvAApU=&c=-ch64BA-YjgUwXpRaXTy6nMWq5lAadnzhXr9nSZ6eOIWyLNsHKnhwA==&ch=Tvbvl33geJFZY92CPysvnavRLPFzVUijfP2NMdOr8zgroNI6jP1_0A) (Mattapan)
• Los Mellos Cleaning Services, Inc. (Hyde Park)
• RNS Facility Services, LLC (https://5twmznuab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001bfstXAwnULX4JQKAaIJVg0bQ_6llXuJ7VX9QtyPAAFVTKx94kIRoe5vtFnSUz0S3naimzTks5FOGVmG8Rp26uEP36ghFomH7YL-lKmXxVOLuE9U333tN2Va5C056DMezYjvtiQZCiUSETrfj3p5UXM7qHYaFA8Ub&c=-ch64BA-YjgUwXpRaXTy6nMWq5lAadnzhXr9nSZ6eOIWyLNsHKnhwA==&ch=Tvbvl33geJFZY92CPysvnavRLPFzVUijfP2NMdOr8zgroNI6jP1_0A) (Dorchester)

The Department of Supplier Diversity also honored Boston Public Schools, Boston Transportation Department, Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture, Public Works Department and the Property Management Department. From Fiscal Year 2023 to 2025, Property Management awarded nearly $15 million, or 30 percent, of its total contract awards to certified businesses. The Transportation Department has awarded $38.5 million in contracts to diverse businesses, accounting for nearly 44 percent of their contract award dollars, in the past three fiscal years. All five of the departments recognized have demonstrated their commitment to Supplier Diversity, and have helped fuel the progress the City has made during the Wu Administration in increasing city discretionary spend and contract award with certified businesses.

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Over the past three fiscal years, $628.7 million in City contracts have been awarded to certified minority- and women-owned businesses, a 94 percent increase compared to the previous four fiscal years. In fiscal year 2025, $232.5 million in contracts were awarded to certified minority- and women-owned businesses. This is equivalent to 13 percent of all contracting dollars awarded by the City in FY25.

The Department of Supplier Diversity and the Procurement Department also recently released the annual Equity in Contracting Report for FY25 (https://www.boston.gov/sites/default/files/file/2025/10/FY25%20EICC%20Report_0.pdf), highlighting the City's equitable procurement data and achievements. Additional information about the City's efforts is available on the Equitable Procurement webpage (http://boston.gov/equitable-procurement).

"Thanks to the clear, intentional vision set by Mayor Wu to expand economic opportunities for Bostonians, we have achieved sustained year-over-year growth in the amount and value of contracts awarded to qualified small and local minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses," said Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion Segun Idowu. "In addition to the capital and coaching the City of Boston provides through programs like SCALE, the third leg of the stool is contracts. Our neighborhoods benefit from greater participation in public procurement by local and diverse firms, helping strengthen them as employers and service providers. I am grateful to my colleagues in public service who have been strong partners in not only achieving this success, but helping to implement policies and programs that will ensure its continuation."

"Scaled Impact celebrates the City's work furthering the Department of Supplier Diversity's mission of making contracting accessible to diverse businesses," said Director of Supplier Diversity Andrea Caruth. "We are grateful for the support we receive under Mayor Wu's leadership to amplify our efforts and support businesses."

Building on the success of the SCALE program, the City also continues to advance policies and initiatives that better support local, small businesses and ensure a more transparent and equitable procurement system. Created by Mayor Wu's home rule petition in 2022, the Inclusive Quote Contracts procurement method—soliciting at least three quotes from certified diverse businesses—allows City officials to use the written quote process to procure higher values of supplies and services up to $250,000 when purchasing from certified small, local, disadvantaged businesses. The City has awarded 54 total Inclusive Quote Contracts, 28 of which were awarded in fiscal year 2025. Since 2022, the City has awarded $7.4 million in contracting dollars to certified businesses through Inclusive Quote Contracts.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF SUPPLIER DIVERSITY

The Department of Supplier Diversity (DSD) of the City of Boston is dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in City contracting. DSD certifies businesses owned by people of color, women, veterans, and small and local businesses, and manages programs to encourage their participation in public contracting and foster their growth. More information about business certifications is available on the certification webpage (https://www.boston.gov/departments/supplier-and-workforce-diversity/get-your-business-certified).

ABOUT THE PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT

The Procurement Department's mission is to purchase the highest-quality goods and services at the lowest possible price for the City and its residents. Procurement also supports non-profits through community grantmaking. More information about the Department is available on the Procurement homepage (http://boston.gov/procurement).

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