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Finance committee reviews MWBE results, discusses outreach to certify and recruit local vendors
Summary
Staff reported certified MWBE spending for July–Dec 2024 totaled $513,017.99 and described outreach steps (vendor fairs, vendor handbook, website lists); board members urged targeted outreach and assistance to help local small businesses complete state certification processes.
Beaufort County Board of Education staff presented the district’s semiannual minority- and women-owned business (MWBE) report on March 13 and discussed challenges in recruiting certified local vendors.
Haley Yinger, identified by staff as responsible for the MWBE tracking, told the committee the report covered July 1–Dec 31, 2024. She said certified MWBE expenditures for that period totaled $513,017.99 (split into certified minority and certified women-owned spending) and that the district used six certified MWBE vendors in that reporting window. Yinger described outreach steps already in use, including a vendor handbook, local advertising, a vendor fair held over the summer and the district website’s vendor-registration materials.
Board members raised barriers that deter small vendors from completing state certification—paperwork burdens, time required to certify, and up-front capital needs for equipment on large contracts. One member noted an encounter with a local truck owner who chose not to pursue certification because of time constraints; another asked whether the RFP language itself might unintentionally exclude smaller firms.
Staff and board members discussed partnerships to reduce barriers. The chair and other members said they can help funnel candidate vendor names to state minority-business offices and chamber partners; the chair referenced Angela DeCosta at the state minority-business office as a potential partner with funding and training. Staff said procurement can notify registered vendors when solicitations are issued but that district procurement has limited authority over state certification processes.
Committee members asked staff to create a follow-up plan that includes outreach messaging, a list of local companies to contact and coordination with state and chamber resources to help vendors navigate certification and participation. Staff committed to be responsive to referred vendors and to return with a recommended outreach list.
Next steps: staff will compile names and recommended outreach actions and report back to the committee; the district will continue vendor outreach and public posting of opportunities on its website.
