On Friday, the Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS) announced new steps to help small businesses (SBs) and small diverse businesses (SDBs) apply for state contracting opportunities.
Following Gov. Josh Shapiro’s executive order to increase communication with SBs and SDBs when it comes to state contracts, DGS will issue notices to those businesses that have signed up with the department’s Bureau of Diversity, Inclusion and Small Business Opportunities (BDISBO) about upcoming procurement and construction opportunities.
“Governor Shapiro and Lieutenant Governor Davis are changing the narrative around doing business with the Commonwealth and have set a clear goal to increase opportunities for Pennsylvania’s small and small diverse business communities. Consistent outreach to the small business community is critical in growing the number of small business vendors who participate in state contracting opportunities,” DGS Secretary Reggie McNeil said. “DGS has held stakeholder events across the Commonwealth, hosted our first-ever small business empowerment summit to build relationships with the small business community, and streamlined our internal processes to offer more resources – and we continue to look for new ways to reach small diverse businesses to increase inclusive contracting opportunities with the Commonwealth.”
DGS also partnered with the Pennsylvania Department of State to increase the number of SBs and SDBs registered with the BDISBO. The state department’s Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations (BCCO) recently changed business registration forms that would allow businesses to voluntarily submit information about their SM, SDB or Veteran Business Enterprise (VBE). That information would then be sent to the BDISBO and filed in the bureau’s database so the businesses would be able to compete for new state contracts.
“From day one, the Shapiro-Davis Administration has been laser-focused on increasing opportunities for small, small diverse and veteran-owned businesses participating in Commonwealth contracts,” Kerry Kirkland, Deputy Secretary for BDISBO said. “Providing small businesses with advance notice of forthcoming procurements and construction opportunities will give them a running start and more time to complete potential bid packages. This important outreach initiative could be a game changer for many small businesses seeking Commonwealth opportunities.”