Restler pushes for a pipeline from small contracts to larger prime work
Restler says MWBEs win 65% of contracts but only 8% of spend, with average awards of $750,000. He asks how the city will help MWBEs already performing well grow into larger contracts rather than remaining a fast small-purchase route.
Agencies can more quickly– oh, you guys are ready for questions.
I'm sorry.
You know, I get carried away.
I'll just finish this, and then I'll pass it to you guys.
Agencies have a faster procurement vehicle to go to MWBEs for under $1.5 million than not.
So there's an incentive there.
If you want to get something out the door quickly and get the work done to engage in MWBE for the local law 174, five priority areas.
We're connecting, you know, city traditional, the non-Big Five city agencies.
It's like 65% of contracts are going to MWBs.
That's a positive thing.
But it's for a teeny fraction of the total spend.
And what I'm...
It's, I think, the same point you're making about subs.
Also, for these small contracts where you're the prime, which is most of what MWEs are getting, they're getting very small contracts under $1.5 million.
Their average spend is $750,000, which is not nothing, but it's not when the average city contract is four times that amount.
There's a real question.
How do we build that pipeline?
How do we help engage the MWBEs that have city contracts, that are working with the city, that are demonstrating that they're effective, that they're doing a good job?
How do we help them grow to take on larger contracts so that they're not just seen as a faster route to procurement for under $1.5 million?