Guilford County launches new MWBE program

NC News - Published Mar 08, 2023

The Guilford County Board of Commissioners has adopted a resolution instituting a formal Minority/Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) Program Policy.

The policy comes after a disparity study was delivered to the county in January of 2023, which showed ongoing disparities in utilization of MWBEs in county procurement relative to their availability. The study forms part of the legal basis for adopting policy to continue to attempt to remedy those disparities. The new policy is the implementation of various of the study's recommendations for remedying disparities.

The remedies take both race-and-gender-conscious and -neutral forms, including the setting of MWBE participation goals on subcontracting, and the expansion of bonding assistance, capital access, and other similar programs.

"We want to ensure the spending power of Guilford County is promoting the economic inclusion of all segments of the business population," said Guilford County Board of Commissioners Chairman Melvin "Skip" Alston in a statement.

Read the press release from the city at https://www.guilfordcountync.gov/Home/Components/News/News/3206/.