New York City Economic Development Corporation Looking To Help Diverse Vendors Access Public Projects

Since taking office in 2014, Mayor de Blasio has made diversity a central focus of his administration. There have been diversity initiatives in agencies ranging from the Department of Cultural Affairs to the Department of Education and others. It’s no different at New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), which is looking to help Minority, Women-Owned, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (M/W/DBE) overcome challenges that may make it difficult to win contracts on public projects. To do this, NYCEDC is looking to expand its Vendors List with M/W/DBEs to get them notified of contract opportunities with NYCEDC.

“Ensuring that we support M/W/DBE firms allows us to grow our economy in an equitable way, making for stronger business and entrepreneurship citywide,” said NYCEDC President and CEO James Patchett. “By providing opportunities to work on NYCEDC projects along with necessary training, I am confident that we can better assist M/W/DBE business owners throughout the five boroughs and allow them to thrive.”

For those who may be unaware, NYCEDC is a nonprofit organization with a primary mission to build strong neighborhoods and create good jobs around the city. To that end, they have a host of programs and services.

One of these services, the Vendors List, is a list of vendors who have applied to be notified of potential contract opportunities with NYCEDC. Many of these projects are construction related, but they also include work in various fields and trades. And NYCEDC projects span many City agencies, so opportunities are plentiful.

Vendors who are on the list receive email updates about opportunities as they arise. To join the list, simply register on the site and then apply here. When applying, you’ll need the following:

• Electronic Application Information
  • Employer Identification Number or Social Security Number
  • Annual Revenue
  • Company Bonding Capacity (if Construction Firm)
  • NIGP codes

• Mailed Supporting Documentation
  • Portfolio of Recent Projects
  • Other Demonstrations of Active Business
  • Proof of M/W/DBE status (if applicable – you do not need to be certified to join the list!)

If your supporting documentation is not received by NYCEDC within 30 calendar days of your electronic application submission, your application may be rejected.

In addition to the Vendors List, NYCEDC has other programs that M/W/DBEs can take advantage of. Two of these are ConstructNYC and the Emerging Developer Loan Fund.

ConstructNYC is designed to connect small-to-mid-sized M/W/DBEs with exclusive opportunities to work on NYCEDC projects through contracts of up to $1 million. The Emerging Developer Loan Fund provides low-interest loans to New York City-based real estate projects with development costs under $30 million.

Independent contractors as well as businesses are eligible to join the list, so sign up even if you’re a business of one. Let the City know about your amazing business and help it increase the diversity of its workforce!

This post was sponsored by New York City Economic Development Corporation. If you would like to reach our readers, please contact us.