St. Louis resumes MWBE program after pause

MO News - Published Oct 07, 2025

Mayor Cara Spencer of St. Louis has issued an executive order (Executive Order 91) which resumes the program the City had been running for minority/women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs).

The City had previously paused its M/WBE program in August of this year. During the pause, the City conducted a legal re-evaluation of the program and the most recent disparity study (from 2024) conducted into contracting conditions for M/WBEs and others. As a result of this new, evaluative study, the Executive Order directs the City to resume certifying M/WBEs as it did before the pause was put in place, and will put greater emphasis on setting M/WBE participation goals on a contract-by-contract basis, as was recommended by the 2024 study. The satisfaction of contract-specific goals will be considered the satisfaction of good-faith efforts to include M/WBEs in City contracting.

"The City of St. Louis proudly remains committed to using its spending powers in a way that effectively and fairly addresses the disparities documented in contracting," said Mayor Spencer in a statement.

Read the press release from the City at https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/mayor/news/mwbe-resumption.cfm.

Read the order at https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/mayor/documents/executive-orders/mayor-executive-order-no-91.cfm.