The Commonwealth’s supplier diversity efforts

A brief history of the Supplier Diversity Office (SDO)

1972

  • May 9 – The Office of Minority Business Enterprise Assistance is established within the Executive Office of Communities and Development

1976

  • February 20 - Governor Dukakis issues Executive Order 124, which renames the office to the State Office of Minority Business Assistance (SOMBA). The mission of the newly-named office is to “guarantee the fullest participation by all our citizens in the economy of the Commonwealth and the fullest benefits to our citizens of programs and services available for assistance.”

1984

  • March 19 - Governor Dukakis issues Executive Order 237, which promotes participation by minority businesses in the economy of the Commonwealth.
  • SOMBA is renamed the State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance (SOMWBA)

1996

  • August 6 – Governor Weld issues Executive Order 390, which establishes an Affirmative Market Program in public contracting

2010

  • Pursuant to Article LXXXVII of the Amendments to the Massachusetts Constitution, Governor Patrick files Chapter 56 of the Acts of 2010, which renames SOMWBA to the Supplier Diversity Office (SDO) and moves the office from the Executive Office for Housing and Economic Development to the Operational Services Division (OSD) of the Executive Office for Administration and Finance
  • June 29 – Governor Patrick issues Executive Order 523, which establishes the Massachusetts Small Business Purchasing Program (SBPP), one of the SDO’s primary tools for bringing fairness to the state’s contracting process
  • September 15 – Governor Patrick issues Executive Order 524, which replaces the Affirmative Market Program with the newly-established Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Program

2015

  • November 3 – Governor Baker issues Executive Order 565, which reaffirms and expands the scope and responsibilities of the SDO. The order also adds businesses owned by veterans, those with a disability, and members of the LGBT community to the Supplier Diversity Program

2020

2022

  • June 24 – Governor Baker issues Executive Order 599, which reaffirms “Programs to Ensure Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Diverse and Small Massachusetts Businesses in State Procurement and Contracting.”

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