Title
Authorizing Council's Committee on Commerce & Economic Development to investigate and hold hearings to determine whether the City of Philadelphia should develop a local Mentor-Protégé Program to enhance the capacity of Minority, Women or Disabled Owned Enterprises to compete for procurement opportunities in the Philadelphia metropolitan marketplace.
Body
WHEREAS, On May 10, 2007, the City Council of Philadelphia approved Bill No. 060226-AA, requiring all entities with City contracts valued at $1 million or more to have a plan in place for ensuring the participation of minorities, women and disabled owned businesses. This plan, formally known as an Economic Opportunity Plan (EOP), is a commitment by the project owner or contractor to use best and good faith efforts to provide opportunities for Minority-Owned, Women-Owned and Disabled-Owned Business Enterprises (collectively known as M/W/DSBEs"). The EOP legislation was amended in 2010 in Bill No. 100134-A to include all City contracts starting at $250,000 and subsequently to add additional reporting requirements; and
WHEREAS, On December 10, 2015 the Office of the City Controller issued its report entitled "Diversity and Inclusion Program Review," which found that "A shortage exists, in many fields in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, of minority and women owned enterprises with the capacity to effectively compete as primes and subcontractors in the mainstream"; and
WHEREAS, To address this shortfall the Controller's report recommended the establishment of a robust local Mentor-Protégé Program designed to entice large prime contractors to partner with small businesses to offer administrative, programmatic technical training and provide additional guidance on how to compete in the marketplace outside of the City's Economic Opportunity Plans and to build long-term relationships; and
WHEREAS, Numerous governmental and private mentor-protégé programs are being utilitized in other cities as vehi...
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