Small businesses seek to benefit from Shapiro Administration outreach efforts

The Shapiro Administration announced Friday it is increasing its outreach efforts to help more of Pennsylvania‘s small diverse businesses secure state contracting opportunities. 

Following Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2023 Executive Order to increase opportunities for Small Businesses (SBs) and Small Diverse Businesses (SDBs) to help them apply for state contracting opportunities, the Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS) has implemented new outreach measures to expand the pool of small diverse business vendors.

“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,” DGS Secretary Reggie McNeil said in a statement. “Consistent outreach to the small business community is critical in growing the number of small business vendors who participate in state contracting opportunities.”

DGS’s Bureau of Diversity, Inclusion and Small Business Opportunities (BDISBO) issues every month a Notice of Forthcoming Procurements and a Notice of Forthcoming Construction Opportunities to more than 5,000 SB and SDB advocates and stakeholder organizations registered with BDISBO.

“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,” said McNeil.

DGS has partnered with the Pennsylvania Department of State to increase the number of SBs and SDBs registered with BDISBO. The Department of State’s Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations changed pertinent business registration and amendment forms so filers can voluntarily submit information as to whether their business qualifies as a SB, SDB, or a Veteran Business Enterprise.

As part of the governor’s Executive Order to open new opportunities for small and small diverse businesses, DGS is coordinating efforts with state agencies and the Pennsylvania Advisory Council for Inclusive Procurement to increase participation in the SBR program.

The Small Business Reserve Report released last week by the DGS revealed Pennsylvania’s prime contracting opportunities for small businesses rose in the first six months of the 2023-24 fiscal year.

“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,” said Kerry Kirkland, deputy secretary for BDISBO. “This important outreach initiative could be a game changer for many small businesses seeking commonwealth opportunities.”