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Houston OBO unveils MWSBE policy changes after disparity study; new tools aim to boost small firms
Summary
Director Silinthia Hoard outlined recommendations from the city’s disparity study, proposed aspirational participation caps based on market availability, and announced new programs (small business reserve, mentor‑protégé, financing expo) intended to increase participation by minority, women and small businesses.
Silinthia Hoard, director of the City of Houston Office of Business Opportunity (OBO), presented proposed policy changes informed by a recent disparity study and a rollout schedule aimed at increasing participation by minority‑owned, women‑owned and small businesses in city contracting.
Hoard said the city currently lists about 3,644 MBE firms, 2,145 WBE firms, 142 PDBE firms and 71 LGBTBE firms in its certification directory, and that the active directory stands at roughly 5,100 firms after a recent cleanup. “In FY '25, the city awarded over $500,000,000 to our minority firms and our women firms here in Houston,” Hoard told the committee.
OBO described its study (conducted by MGT Consulting, using FY2018–FY2022 data) as covering construction procurement, professional services, goods and services, and inclusion of DBE/ACDB programs. The office said it used a nine‑county market area for availability measures and that…
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