Office of Economic Inclusion reports DBE/TBE participation levels for October and first 10 months of 2024

Lamont Robinson, director of the Office of Economic Inclusion, presented an informational report on Milwaukee County’s participation and departmental waivers under the county’s Targeted Business Enterprise (TBE) program and federally required DBE/TBE measures.

Robinson said that for the reporting month (October 2024) approximately 12.9% of eligible contract dollars were awarded to certified firms and that those awards represented about 10.04% of total contract dollars awarded that month. For the first 10 months of 2024, he said roughly $417 million in total contracts had been awarded, about $156.7 million was deemed eligible for DBE/TBE participation, and certified firms received approximately $55.5 million — about 13.31% of total contract dollars awarded year-to-date and 35.41% of eligible contract dollars.

Robinson provided a demographic breakdown for October, saying certified-firm awards included approximately $390,000 to Asian-owned firms, $158,000 to Black-owned firms, $723,000 to Hispanic-owned firms, $312,000 to women‑owned firms and about $46,000 to small business enterprises for that month. He noted that while absolute dollar amounts changed year over year, the percentage of contracting dollars going to certified firms has remained around 13%.

Robinson also told the committee he would monitor potential changes to federal programs under any future change in administration and keep the committee apprised of developments that could affect DBE/TBE programs.

The item was informational and committee members asked no questions at the conclusion of the presentation.