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Procurement staff propose outreach, threshold changes to boost local vendor and DBE participation
Summary
Tammy Stevens briefed the committee on local vendor and DBE participation, proposing lower solicitation thresholds, BidNet registration outreach (QR codes and kiosks), and staff training to help local businesses complete DBE certification paperwork.
Tammy Stevens presented a local‑vendor initiative to increase Horry County participation by area businesses. She said there are 54 DBE certifications in South Carolina but only 29 local to Horry County and about 250 local vendors registered on the county’s BidNet platform. Stevens recommended lowering certain solicitation thresholds (transcript lists prior thresholds from 2013 and proposed lower starting points) and prioritized outreach to get more local firms registered.
Stevens proposed multiple steps: add QR codes to business license applications and renewals linking to procurement registration, set up kiosks or staff assistance in the procurement lobby to help businesses register on BidNet, and implement "train the trainer" sessions with airport staff who already handle DBE paperwork. She argued these steps would keep more procurement dollars in Horry County and could increase DBE utilization on larger projects. The committee expressed general support and directed staff to return with a resolution.
