Dallas committee reviews DRIVE procurement framework to boost small business access while aligning with federal rules

Juanita Ortiz, director of the Office of Procurement Services, presented the DRIVE (Developing Regional and Inclusive Vendor Enterprises) procurement framework to the Economic Development Committee on Nov. 3, describing it as an effort to expand access to city contracts for small and local businesses while ensuring compliance with recent federal directives.

"Today, I'm pleased to present the drive policy framework, developing regional and inclusive vendor enterprises," Ortiz said, outlining a shift from the city’s 2008 BID policy toward a data‑driven, race‑neutral small business enterprise (SBE) approach. Ortiz said federal guidance issued in January 2025 requires public agencies to eliminate race‑ or religion‑based criteria in awarding contracts while continuing to support small‑business access through legally compliant, race‑neutral strategies.

The DRIVE framework centers on eight components staff developed after consulting more than 200 stakeholders. Key elements include a "first look" priority for informal procurements under $100,000, unbundling large contracts where appropriate, using best‑value evaluation criteria that balance cost, quality and inclusion, recognizing self‑performing SBEs, and tracking participation through an engagement score and monthly subcontractor reporting. Ortiz said emergency procurements, cooperative…