Bexar County replaces MWBE program with local, small, and veterans business program

TX News - Published Jun 18, 2026

The Bexar County Commissioner's Court has voted in favor of repealing its current Small, Minority, and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (SMWBE) Program and replacing it with a race- and gender-neutral Small Business Enterprise, Local Business Enterprise and Veteran Business Enterprise Program.

Under the provisions of the old program, County contracts were subject to an aspirational but non-binding 20 percent participation goal for SMWBEs. Under the provisions of the new program, County contracts will be subject to similar aspirational participation goals of 50 percent for local businesses, 30 percent for small businesses (this goal, which the County has consistently met, is retained from the old program), a 5 percent for veteran-owned businesses.

The new policy is being instituted as race- and gender-conscious contracting goals have been challenged by the executive and judicial branches of the federal government in various ways. Local governments have faced the threat of losing federal funding for retaining race- and gender-conscious contracting goals.

Read about the County's deliberations on the matter from last year at https://dbegoodfaith.com/item.php?item_type=news&news_id=2538.