City of Houston Breaks Participation Records

By: Angel Rodriquez

The Office of Business Opportunity is committed to the success of minority, women-owned, and small business enterprises (MWSBEs) by monitoring and fostering their meaningful participation in the City of Houston’s procurement process. Each fiscal year, through its MWSBE Awards Report, OBO details the progress City departments have made towards attaining participation goals established for the City’s MWSBE program.

In Fiscal Year 2021, the overall percentage of MWSBE participation was at 31.9% – the highest in the history of OBO’s recording. This percentage represents more than $662 million awarded to certified firms who do business with the City. Prior to this report, the highest known participation was 29.2% in Fiscal Year 2018.

The City also broke participation records in Construction, as well as on Goods & Services contracts. The MWSBE participation percentage for Construction contracts was 34.1%, and these firms were awarded more than $332 million for their work. For Goods & Services contracts, MWBE participation increased to 30.2%, well over the City’s 11 percent annual target. These firms were awarded more than $220 million for their work. The City also awarded more than $108 million to MWBEs for Professional Services contracts.

To view the entire OBO Fiscal Year 2021 MWSBE Awards Report, goto houstontx.gov/OBO and click on Reports. The 58-page document also summarizes awards by vendor type, ethnicity and contract type, as well as by industry. It also breaks down MWSBE awards by City department, and contains several appendices for reference.

Including the amounts awarded to MWSBE firms, the City awarded well over $2 billion dollars to businesses working on City projects, with many more projects to be awarded in the upcoming years. Recognizing that MWSBE vendors are catalysts for economic growth and ingenuity, OBO seeks to create a competitive and diverse supplier marketplace through its advocacy for these firms.

“We encourage prime contractors pursuing City contracts to utilize our Certified Firm Directory,” Director Murray said. “There, you will find more than 4,700 certified firms ready to perform work in construction, professional services, commodities and supplies, equipment, and work services among others.”

To learn about City of Houston certification and how to become listed in the City’s Certified Firm Directory, visit the OBO website and click on the Certifications tab. For Contract Compliance related inquiries, also visit the OBO website and click on Contract Compliance. To view the City of Houston’s Certified Firm Directory, go to houston.mwdbe.com.

EXCEEDING PARTICIPATION GOALS: OBO Director Marsha E. Murray relayed details about the City of Houston’s MWSBE Awards Report during the 2021 Meet The Buyer Procurement Forum.