Office of Economic Inclusion reports drop in targeted business participation year over year; officials cite contract mix as cause

The Milwaukee County Office of Economic Inclusion presented an informational report on Targeted Business Enterprise (TBE) and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation for March and April 2025, reporting roughly $3.3 million in contract dollars awarded to certified firms during those months and noting a significant drop from 2024 participation.

Director Lamont Robinson said March contract awards totaled just over $102 million of which about $5 million was eligible for participation; certified firms held approximately $1.8 million (35.1% of eligible dollars) for March. In April, Robinson said $57.5 million in contract dollars were awarded, about $15 million deemed eligible and about $1.5 million (10.3% of eligible dollars) held by certified firms. Combined certified firm participation for March and April was reported at about $3.3 million.

Robinson provided a demographic breakdown of participation across categories for the two months: roughly $195,000 to Asian‑owned firms; $496,000 to Black‑owned firms; $118,000 to Hispanic firms; $602,000 to Native American firms; $1.5 million to women-owned firms; and $436,000 to other small businesses. He told supervisors the year‑over‑year decline from 2024 (about $27 million participation for the same period) reflects the contract mix in 2025, where the county has issued more software renewals and service contracts and fewer construction and professional services contracts that historically generate higher participation dollars.

A supervisor requested that future reports add percentage columns and benchmarks to make year‑over‑year comparisons easier to read; Robinson acknowledged the request and said the office will include additional percentages and context in future reports. The item was informational and no committee action was taken.