May 6, 2019
The City of South Bend has advanced to the semifinalist round for the Living Cities City Accelerator Inclusive Procurement Grant of $50,000. The City Accelerator initiative is supported by the Citi Foundation and managed by the Living Cities organization, with technical support from Griffin and Strong LLC Law Firm. This year’s City Accelerator project is focused on helping cities promote economic equity through inclusive procurement.
South Bend submitted a proposal to create a national model for supplying resources, opportunity, accountability, and equity to residents as part of a re-envisioned economy that closes the local racial wealth divide. The public can learn more and vote for South Bend’s proposal by going to bit.ly/CA6SouthBend and clicking on the “What did you think?” button. Finalists will be announced on May 14.
Using the recommendations from the first City of South Bend MWBE Disparity Study for Purchasing and Contracting, the City’s project will focus on leveraging over $1.8 billion combined contracting and procurement spending of the top 10 employers in South Bend. This will help to create, stabilize, and scale up MBE/MWBE’s that offer the goods, services, professional services and contracting used locally every day to address the longstanding racial wealth divide through entrepreneurship.
“Inclusive procurement is a key component of inclusive economic growth,” said Mayor Pete Buttigieg. “This grant would join ongoing efforts like the West Side Small Business Resource Center or the City’s current disparity study. These actions come from the realization that it takes intentional practices to get inclusive outcomes.”
“The Office of Diversity and inclusion is committed to building a strong, comprehensive and inclusive economic ecosystem, which starts with the support and development of small, local, minority, and women owned businesses that feed into City procurement and contract opportunities,” said Diversity and Inclusion Officer Christina Brooks.
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