Press Release  Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office to Partner with City of Springfield to Certify Diverse and Small Businesses

Boston — The Healey-Driscoll administration announced a partnership between the Supplier Diversity Office (SDO), the state agency responsible for bringing diversity, equity, and inclusion into the state’s bidding process, and the City of Springfield to expand services and opportunities for local diverse and small businesses.  

The announcement, made today by Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll at the Developers of Color Summit in Boston, detailed how the City of Springfield will now certify local diverse and small businesses using the SDO’s systems and technology. Certification is a free process which enables businesses to bid as a diversity partner on state contracts (such as road maintenance and construction projects) and can help grow businesses that have been traditionally underserved.  

“Springfield is home to so many diverse and small businesses that strengthen our economy and our communities,” said Governor Maura Healey. “This new partnership will support diverse and small businesses in Springfield by making it easier for them to do business with the state.  We’re excited to support this partnership and look forward to working with new businesses.”  

“Having a partner in the state is a gamechanger for small businesses in our cities and towns,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “I know firsthand how local economies thrive when they have the support of the state, and our administration is proud to expand these services and opportunities to Western Massachusetts.”  

“We are very excited to announce the SDO’s partnership with the City of Springfield,” said SDO Executive Director Bill McAvoy. “This will give businesses in Springfield and Western Massachusetts more opportunities to participate in the public bidding process and to receive the services and benefits that the SDO offers.” 

In addition to being eligible to bid as a diverse and/or small business on state contracts, certification enables businesses to receive updates on upcoming projects of interest, free trainings, and invitations to networking events. Certified businesses are also added to the SDO’s Directory of Certified Businesses, which is used by state agencies and businesses to seek out vendors and partners for state contracts.  

Under the partnership, employees of Springfield’s Department of Technical Assistance and Compliance will certify businesses in Western Massachusetts using the SDO’s registration system. They will follow the SDO’s certification policies and procedures and become a certifier of diverse businesses, which are classified as businesses owned by minorities, women, and veterans. They will also certify small businesses located in Massachusetts. 

Under the agreement, both the SDO and the City of Springfield agree to accept each other’s diverse and small business certifications. The SDO and the City of Springfield have spent the last four months modifying their certification tracking system to enable employees from the City to use the system when conducting certifications.  

“I want to thank my Chief Development Officer Tim Sheehan and especially Patrice ‘Chae’ Swan, Director of the Department of Technical Assistance and Compliance, for their efforts working with the State Supplier Diversity Office to establish this unique and innovative partnership to provide our local small businesses with this certification initiative,” said Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno. “Upon completion of the requirements, those small businesses that become SDO certified will be eligible to bid on state contracts. Besides Boston, Springfield is now the second municipality, and the only one in Western Massachusetts, to offer this program. My administration is committed to providing as much opportunity as possible for our local businesses so that they can tap into potential new contracts and work, which will create and enhance more of that good four-letter word, jobs!” 

This partnership is the latest announcement the SDO has made to aid diverse and small businesses. In recent months, the SDO has released resources such as the Municipal Supplier Diversity Playbook and the Business Map Dashboard, an interactive map which helps find local businesses using the SDO’s data.  

Earlier this year, Governor Healey announced two initiatives aimed at expanding opportunities for LGBT-owned Business Enterprises and Disability-owned Business Enterprises in the Commonwealth Supplier Diversity Program.    

The SDO’s mission is to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in state contracting for businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, service-disabled veterans, those with a disability, and LGBT individuals, as well as small Massachusetts businesses. The SDO certifies these businesses and manages several programs that help them enhance their marketability when bidding on public contracts. For more information about the SDO and its programs, visit mass.gov/sdo.  

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