Cities of Brookline and Somerville team up for MWBE disparity study

MA News - Published Apr 12, 2023

The cities of Somerville and Brookline are planning to conduct a joint disparity study into government contracting in their two municipalities, sharing the costs of the study while still retaining separate focuses and separate recommendations from the study.

The study will be on conditions in the market for government contracts for minority- and woman-owned businesses (MWBEs) in the two municipalities. If disparities are found in the utilization of MWBEs relative to their availability, the study can form part of the legal basis for remedies implemented to address those disparities, if such remedies are to be race- and gender-conscious in particular.

The two cities are currently in the stage of seeking a business to conduct the study on their behalves, having issued an RFP for the disparity study recently. The RFP lists an anticipated completion date of July 2024.