Cambridge Outlines Three-Track Plan to Fix Minority Business Contracting Gaps

CAMBRIDGE — May 29, 2024 — Cambridge moves toward closing minority business contracting gaps after disparity study. City staff presented the Economic Development Committee with findings from a completed goods-and-services disparity study conducted under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 30B, identifying statistically significant gaps between the availability and city utilization of certified minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned businesses across most procurement categories. Staff organized eight study recommendations into three work streams — data and transparency, education and training, and promoting vendor participation — coordinated through an interdepartmental working group. Director of Equity and Inclusion Deidre Travis-Brown confirmed a separate construction MBE program already holds prime contractors to minimum thresholds of 10 percent for minority-owned businesses and 8.8 percent for women-owned businesses. Presenters Pardis and Liz cautioned that because the study covered only certified vendors, the full scope of the disparity is likely wider than the data shows — and that there is "no silver bullet" to closing the gaps.