Delray Beach launches small-business outreach effort; city defines target as firms under 10 employees

Delray Beach staff told commissioners they will begin a targeted outreach program aimed at businesses with roughly 10 or fewer employees, including a seminar series, a small-business expo in May and procurement adjustments intended to make informal quotes and low-dollar contracts more accessible to local firms.

Economic Development Manager Rob Evans and Purchasing Manager Eugene Bittaker presented the plan, which the city described as two-pronged: increase opportunities for Delray-based small businesses to contract with the city, and provide help for local firms to grow and thrive. Staff proposed using the city’s e-procurement portal to flag opportunities and expanding informal-quote outreach. The target definition — businesses with fewer than 10 employees — is a starting point staff said could be adjusted by procurement type.

Staff said the city does not currently maintain a complete list of local small-business contract winners; the presentation said the finance and procurement systems will be adjusted to collect better vendor-level data. Staff also proposed a seminar series in partnership with the chamber, the DDA, CRA and SCORE and the Small Business Development Center to teach owners about licensing, insurance, bookkeeping and how to do business with the city. A signature Small Business Expo is planned for May to connect vendors directly with department buyers.

Commissioners welcomed the outreach and urged staff to market beyond established business groups so that firms unaffiliated with the chamber or DDA also learn about opportunities. Staff said many activities will require little or no new budget, with the expo as the primary line-item cost.

Ending: Staff will move forward with outreach, run the Small Business Expo in May, and return with procurement-data improvements and a marketing plan to reach unaffiliated microbusinesses.