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OMWBD reports directory growth, outlines disparity study timeline and areas for capacity building
Summary
The Office of Minority and Women Business Development presented certification and compliance statistics, said its directory has grown to about 1,020 firms, and outlined a consolidated disparity study with a planned public release in June 2025 and an ordinance/use plan to follow in fall 2025.
The Office of Minority and Women Business Development reported certification, compliance and outreach activity at the Indianapolis Economic Development Commission meeting and said a consolidated disparity study will be released to the public in June 2025.
Fahad Bey, senior manager for OMWBD, told commissioners the office had 29 pending certification files, completed 97 new or recertification applications year-to-date and provided 43 business consultations. Bey said OMWBD had reviewed 41 bid compliance packages, received five complaints and had one pending denial or appeal. He said the office's public directory now lists about 1,020 certified firms.
“...our current pending certifications are a 29,” Bey said while presenting the office’s certification and compliance data. He also summarized percentage utilization across agencies, saying the combined city/county/municipal figures show roughly 12% MBE and about 7.6% WBE utilization.
The presentation identified outreach and public‑private partnership work, listed several active projects the office is tracking for MBE/WBE utilization, and described outreach plans for 2025. Bey said OMWBD has contracted with a vendor (B2G) to implement an online certification and directory module, an online application, targeted e‑blast capabilities and record-management tools; he said the software module is expected to be operational by the end of the year.
OMWBD also described a 2025 consolidated disparity study that will cover the consolidated city of Indianapolis and Marion County agencies and a set of municipal corporations that OMWBD oversees. Bey said the study’s public release is anticipated in June 2025, followed by a question-and-answer period, formation of an internal working committee to draft policies and a proposed new ordinance and utilization plan during the fall 2025 budget season. That ordinance and utilization plan would then be subject to public outreach, hearings and council approval, Bey said.
Commissioners asked about trends and areas for improvement. One commissioner said capacity building and programs to help small firms grow into mid‑sized contractors were priorities. Joseph Lee of OMWBD answered questions about bid activity and good‑faith‑effort reviews, describing current bid activity as slow but beginning to ramp up in line with project schedules.
Lee said past backlogs in pending certification applications have been reduced: "In early 2024, we pretty much had 300 pending applications. So now you're seeing that, those certifications files that were processed, are now reflecting the directory being grown to a thousand now for the first time." Lee added that many recent complaints arriving at the office relate to job‑site safety or workers’ feelings of being unsafe rather than certification eligibility.
Why it matters: the disparity study and updated utilization plan will set the city’s next set of MBE/WBE goals and recommended practices, informing outreach and procurement practices across multiple city and county entities. OMWBD staff said the findings and subsequent ordinance could change how goals are set and how agencies monitor contractor utilization.
Next steps: OMWBD expects a public release of the disparity study in June 2025, an internal committee to draft recommendations afterward, and a new proposed ordinance and utilization plan during fall 2025 that will proceed through public hearings and council action.
