Boston: Supplier Diversity Week Kicks Off and Celebrates Growth in Contract Awards to Certified Businesses

~ Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and the city's Department of Supplier Diversity have launched the fourth annual Supplier Diversity Week, with events and workshops intended to connect local and diverse businesses with city resources and contracting opportunities.

The city reported that it spent $504 million in discretionary funds with certified minority- and women-owned business enterprises from fiscal years 2023 through 2026, a 115% increase from the $234 million spent in fiscal years 2019 through 2022. It also awarded $752 million in contracts to certified M/WBEs during the more recent four-year period, up 132% from $324 million in the previous four years.

In fiscal year 2026, Boston had 1,076 actively certified businesses across its minority- and women-owned business enterprise and small and small-local business programs, according to the city. The city said its annual Equity in Contracting Report for FY26 details recent progress.

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Wu said the administration would continue working to increase small-business participation in city contracting and connect businesses historically excluded from opportunities with support to grow.

The week's schedule includes a virtual Procurement 101 workshop, with materials to be posted on the city website; a virtual certification overview on Tuesday, Oct. 27; an opportunity fair at the Bolling Building on Wednesday, Oct. 28; a networking mixer at Savvor on Thursday, Oct. 29; and a virtual Office of Small Business workshop on Friday, Oct. 30.

The opportunity fair will connect prospective vendors with city departments, including Boston Centers for Youth and Families and the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture, to discuss upcoming opportunities. The workshops will cover city purchasing and bidding, business certification, and programs and services for small businesses.

City officials said the effort involves collaboration across departments. Emily Knight, the city's chief of economic development, said she was committed to continuing the administration's supplier-diversity work. Supplier Diversity Director Andrea Swain said the department aims to help vendors understand city contracting and navigate barriers.

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