Procurement Compliance Bulletin
10.24.2024
October, marked both Small Women's Business Month and Hispanic Heritage Month. Our GOSBA staff participated in numerous outreach events connecting with Hispanic and women-owned small businesses throughout the month. And as we have done in previous years, we hosted a Women's Small Business Celebration. Over 150 business owners attended the event co-hosted by the Maryland Department of the Environment. Thank you to all that joined us to present Governor's Citations to seven phenomenal women-owned businesses and to share procurement opportunities. We received great feedback from our attendees. The year's not over yet! We challenge you to continue to create opportunities to connect with our small, minority, women and veteran-owned businesses. Please connect with us about your upcoming events so that we may advertise them on our events calendar.
Email your small business outreach events to Eduardo Hayden, GOSBA Small Business Outreach Manager, eduardo.hayden@maryland.gov.
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FY2025 SBR Quarter 1 Reporting (New Performance Measurements)
Participating units are required to report FY 2025 SBR quarterly data to GOSBA within 30 days of the quarter’s closing date. Due to the delay in posting of the new template, the due date for 1st Quarter reports has been extended to November 13, 2024.
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- Quarterly reporting is MANDATORY and timely submission of the data is critical. The quarterly report will note participating units that fail to submit the required data on time.
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Quarterly Reports do not have to be signed.
- GOSBA will have 15 days to prepare a statewide quarterly report for the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, the Board of Public Works, and the Governor’s Cabinet.
- The SBR QTR reporting requirements and template have been revised. The templates now include the collection of contract awards which will track participating agency's achievement of the certified small business goal attainment of 20%. The new requirements are available in the SBR Reporting Toolkit.
If you have questions pertaining to the SBR Quarterly Report, feel free to submit them via email or contact the SBR Compliance Manager that works with your agency to schedule a meeting.
Lisa Mitchell Sennaar lisa.sennaar@maryland.gov or
Tanita Johnson taniita.johnson1@maryland.gov
FY2024 Annual Reporting
SBR Program Annual 2024 reporting is now past due. Annual reports were due to GOSBA on September 30th and included data from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024. GOSBA is in the process of verifying each participating unit's SBR Annual Report data.
All SBR participating units please make sure you are responding in a timely fashion to correction emails. Any units that have not completed their full submission, are urged to contact us immediately for action. If not, your unit will be reported as unresponsive.
SBR Program Goal Increased to 20%
New Reporting Procedure Impacts FY2025 Quarterly Reporting
Two key changes are impacting Maryland's SBR Program. First, legislation passed earlier this year (HB0962/SB0673) which increases the statewide goal from 15% to 20% effective October 1, 2024. To the extent practicable, each procurement unit shall structure its procurement procedures to achieve the minimum result of 20% of the unit's total dollar value of procurements for goods, supplies, services, maintenance, construction, construction-related services, architectural services, and engineering services being expended directly with certified small businesses (SBRs) at the prime contract level.
Previously, SBR Program performance was measured by payments to certified small businesses (SBRs). Effective October 1, 2024, the participating units will measure SBR performance by awards made to a certified small business (SBRs) under designated SBR contracts as well as awards made to a certified small business (SBRs) under non-designated contract awards. This means that all awards made to a certified small business (SBR) will count toward the 20% SBR goal attainment.
Payment data will still be captured and reported both quarterly and annually. This aligns the SBR Program's performance measures with the state's other socioeconomic procurement programs.
As you work toward meeting this new goal, you'll be pleased to know the number of Certified Small Businesses (SBRs) has grown by almost 30% in the past year. There are currently more than 5,200 Certified Small Business vendors (SBRs) in eMMA and the number is growing every day.
To address any questions or concerns about SBR reporting, certification, outreach, or training assistance, please email your SBR Compliance Manager to schedule a meeting.
Lisa Mitchell Sennaar - lisa.sennaar@maryland.gov
Tanita Johnson - tanita.johnson1@maryland.gov
FY2024 Annual Reporting
Annual reports were due to GOSBA on September 30th and included data from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024. GOSBA is in the process of verifying each participating unit's MBE Annual Report data.
Below is how the verification process works:
- After review, the MBE Compliance Manager will reach out to the report preparer if there are any corrections that are required.
- Once, corrections are complete and the report is verified for compliance in accordance with COMAR 21.11.03.17 the MBE Compliance Manager will send a Summary Statement when the report is deemed finalized.
- From the date the summary statement is received by the participating unit, the unit will have 5 days to return the summary statement signed by the; Report Preparer, Chief Financial Officer, and Agency Head or Designee, confirming they are in agreement with the final verified MBE numbers.
If you have questions pertaining to the MBE Annual Report, feel free to submit them via email or contact the MBE Compliance Manager to schedule a meeting.
Karen Reyes - karen.reyes@maryland.gov
FY2025 MBE Quarter 1 Reporting
Participating units are required to report FY 2025 MBE quarterly data to GOSBA
within 30 days of the quarter’s closing date. The due date for 1st Quarter reports is October 30, 2024.
- Quarterly reporting is MANDATORY and timely submission of the data is critical. The quarterly report will note participating units that fail to submit the required data on time.
- Quarterly Reports do not have to be signed.
- GOSBA will have 15 days to prepare a statewide quarterly report for the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, the Board of Public Works, and the Governor’s Cabinet.
- The MBE QTR reporting requirements and template have been revised and now includes a template to report procurement contract activity and a Quarterly Compliance Check-In Survey via google form. The new requirements are available in the MBE Reporting Toolkit.
If you have questions pertaining to the MBE Quarterly Report, feel free to submit them via email or contact the MBE Compliance Manager to schedule a meeting.
Karen Reyes - karen.reyes@maryland.gov
SB587 Reporting Titling Services within the MBE Program
GOSBA is actively working to implement the reporting requirements to execute Senate Bill 587. Agencies will have a 2-week turnaround for this reporting submission once it is released by GOSBA.
Procurement teams, will be required to report any awards for ‘Real Property Title Insurance Services Including Commercial Real Property Title Insurance Service'. If your unit does not procure within this industry type, a submission is still required to report $0. These services may be bundled within Title Abstract Services or Commercial Real Property Title Insurance Services.
Here is the link to view the Senate Bill: Senate Bill 587, Chapter 632
The House Appropriations Committee mandated an additional round of surveys in 2024 to address ongoing concerns about attainment of MBE goals, liaison vacancies, and the liaison's role within each participating unit. GOSBA is conducting the surveys in collaboration with the Department of General Services Office of State Procurement. A report is due to the Committee in December.
Agency MBE Participation Attainment Survey *DUE SOON*
The Agency MBE Participation Attainment Survey launched on July 1, 2024.
Agency Liaison Survey *COMING SOON*
- A new Agency Liaison Survey will launch on or before November 1, 2024.
- The survey will close on November 15, 2024.
- This survey is collecting data about agency liaison vacancies and the duties of MBE and SBR liaisons.
Submission of these surveys are required and agencies that fail to submit the requested data by the due date will be reported as non-responsive to the Committee. No extension can be granted.
Questions about the surveys may be directed to MBE Compliance Manager:
Karen Reyes - karen.reyes@maryland.gov
NEW FY2025 VSBE Quarterly Reporting
VSBE Quarterly templates were sent to all the VSBE Liaisons after the July VSBE Liaison Training. These templates have also been updated to the VSBE Toolkit. This data collection for Quarter 1 is July 1, 2024 through October 1, 2024 and is cumulative. Deadline for Q1 submissions is October 30th to the vsbereports.gosba@maryland.gov mailbox.
FY2024 VSBE Annual Reporting is Past Due
VSBE Program Annual 2024 reporting is now past due. All VSBE participating units please make sure you are responding in a timely fashion to correction emails. Any units that have not completed their full submission, are urged to contact us immediately for action. If not, your unit will be reported as unresponsive.
VSBE Goal Increased to 3%
GOSBA is pleased to announce that the VSBE Program goal has been increased to 3%. As you are aware, we have been working toward implementing this regulation change for several months. The final notice was published in the September 6th Register and took effect on September 16, 2024.
As you work toward meeting this new goal, you'll be pleased to know the number of VSBEs has grown by 41% in the past year. There are currently more than 900 certified VSBE vendors in eMMA and the number is growing every day.
Please be sure to share the goal increase across your unit and connect with GOSBA to support and amplify your outreach efforts to the veteran community.
To address any questions or concerns about VSBE certification, outreach, training, or reporting, please contact the VSBE Compliance Manager.
Danielle Davis - danielle.davis2@maryland.gov.
by Nichelle Johnson MBE Ombudsman
The MBE Ombudsman unit is committed to improving the overall implementation of the MBE program and identifying and acting on both compliance lapses and fraud. We are focused on moving into a more proactive approach through an increased focus on stregthening compliance. In addition to recent enhanced data requirements related to compliance, the unit is excited to offer the first Prime Contractor Training focused on improving the understanding of compliance requirements for the MBE Program. This training will be available through our T.I.P.S. (Training & Insights for Procurement Success) Small Business Webinars Series.
The session, MBE Compliance Considerations for Prime Contractors, is scheduled for December 19, 2024. The Governor's Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs highly recommends that current or potential Prime Contractors register for this session. If you are aware of a prime contractor that could benefit from taking this session, please refer them to our website. Registration typically opens approximately three weeks before the session.
As we press forward and continue to hear from you, our small, minority, and women-owned businesses, and other internal/external stakeholders, we will proceed with additional measures that will move us towards increased MBE compliance and make state contracting more equitable for all.
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