Ohio meets 15 percent minority business state purchasing goal for fourth year

Ohio meets 15 percent minority business state purchasing goal for fourth year

For the fourth consecutive year, the State of Ohio has exceeded the goal of its Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) program. During Fiscal Year 2018, the state purchased 21.63 percent of eligible goods and services through certified minority-owned businesses, while spending more than $268 million.

Ohio’s MBE program, established in 1980, mandates that state agencies set aside 15 percent of annual purchases for goods and services from certified minority-owned businesses. Governor John Kasich has made achieving the 15 percent mandate a priority during his administration. Since 2011, the state has made steady progress in identifying set-aside opportunities, certifying minority-owned businesses and matching them with state contract opportunities, reaching the 15 percent set-aside goal for the first time in 2015.

“We are pleased to report that Ohio has met its 15 percent set-aside goal for the fourth consecutive year. Governor Kasich challenged us to make reaching this goal the norm and we have succeeded in doing so,” said Pamela Osborne, state equal employment opportunity coordinator and interim deputy director of the Equal Opportunity Division of the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, which certifies businesses into the MBE program.

“Continuing to provide the resources to minority business owners allows them to grow their businesses, create jobs and participate in a strong and vibrant Ohio economy,” said Jeffrey L. Johnson, chief of the Minority Business Development Division at the Ohio Development Services Agency.

Out of the eligible expenditures for goods and services purchased during Fiscal Year 2018, 18.86 percent was set aside for MBE-certified businesses. Another 2.78 percent of eligible goods and services were purchased from MBE-certified businesses through open-market contracts.

Ohio’s Equal Opportunity Division oversees the MBE program and helps to ensure equal opportunity access to and fair treatment in government contracting. It strives to maximize contracting opportunities through certification of minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned and socially and economically disadvantaged businesses.

Published in OhioMBE – Sept. 1, 2018 – pdf

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