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Social equity team reports surge in registrations, new procedures and fee relief for applicants
Summary
The LCB’s social equity team said outreach and a new reviewer platform produced 880 registrations (726 registrants), enabled a quick eligibility notification, and removed pre‑selection fees—saving applicants roughly $180,000; staff reported early licensing activity and data‑management steps.
Erin Washington, Program Manager with the Social Equity Program, told the board the team secured a contract with AltaPoint Consulting to build an automated reviewer platform and coordinated outreach to equity‑focused commissions and local governments. The registration window produced 880 registrations and 726 registrants—nearly double participation from an earlier round—and staff coordinated notifications of eligibility within four days after preliminary scoring.
Erin said the team removed the pre‑selection fee requirement so applicants are not charged before evaluation; she estimated that for the 7/26 registrants this change saved the public about $180,000. The social equity program also developed mobility procedures allowing selected entities to relocate outside their initial jurisdiction under specified score conditions, and the team is tracking status and location activity in a dashboard integrated into the LEADS system.
Separately, licensing staff said the cannabis team processed over 500 applications and issued four social equity licenses during the year, while continuing to refine data transfers and handle integration issues between the reviewer platform and LEADS. The board heard that the program is operational but still facing growth‑phase challenges and will continue close coordination with IT and licensing staff.
