Procurement Compliance Bulletin
August 15, 2025
by Lisa Mitchell Sennaar, Small Business Reserve Program Compliance Manager
Black Business Month is celebrated throughout the month of August —it’s a time to acknowledge, appreciate and celebrate Black-owned businesses across the nation and all that they represent in the country. Despite the documented disproportionate challenges they have faced historically and face currently, according to the Annual Business Survey (ABS), there were 161,031 Black-owned businesses in the US as of 2021. These businesses employed over 1.4 million people and generated about $206.1 billion in revenue.
August should also serve as a reminder to push for equity in business spaces. This philosophy is consistent with Maryland's Socioeconomic Procurement Programs - the Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Small Business Reserve (SBR), Small Business Preference (SBP) and Veteran-Owned Small Business Enterprise (VSBE) Programs. They were legislatively created to mandate fairness and transparency in Maryland procurement for small, minority, women and veteran-owned businesses. Black-owned businesses join all other eligible businesses in these programs. In other words, Maryland procurement should provide equal access for all businesses that want to do business with Maryland agencies/units.
On behalf of Black-owned businesses and the other small, minority, women-, and veteran-owned businesses that we engage with daily at the Governor's Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs (GOSBA), thank you to our Maryland procurement and compliance partners!
#TEAMWORK - https://gomdsmallbiz.maryland.gov/Pages/Contact-Us.aspx
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Upcoming Compliance Call
GOSBA hosts a compliance call each quarter to address issues impacting how the SBR, MBE, and VSBE procurement programs are implemented by participating state agencies and departments. Topics for discussion come from you, our liaisons, procurement and compliance officers. We discuss them in an open and transparent forum so we can all learn from one another.
The next Compliance Call is August 20, 2025, from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Topics will include:
- FY2026 Procurement Forecast
- Name Change from Small Business Reserve (SBR) vendor to Certified Small Business (CSB)
- Small Business Reserve Designation - rule of two and threshold Change
- Small Business Preference Program Expansion - Rule of one
- FY2025 SBR Reporting Reminders
- FY2025 MBE Reporting Reminders
- FY2025 VSBE Reporting Reminders
- Quarter 4 MBE & VSBE Procurement Activity Report Reminders
- MBE & SBR-House Appropriation Committee Mandatory Surveys
- Waivers
- Outreach
- Reminders
An invitation was sent out. If you have questions about the Compliance Call or would like to add a staff member to our mailing list, let us know. If you do not wish to attend any upcoming meetings, simply decline the meeting invitation.
For questions about the compliance call or to be added to the invite, please email lisa.sennaar@maryland.gov
New Liaison Onboarding Training - Being Rescheduled
The August 28, 2025, SBR, MBE, and VSBE New Liaison Onboarding is being rescheduled. We are revising the training for a launch in January. You may contact SBR, VSBE and MBE Compliance Managers to schedule one-on-one meetings for your new liaisons in the interim.
SBR Compliance Managers:
Lisa Mitchell Sennaar - lisa.sennaar@maryland.gov
Tanita Johnson - tanita.johnson1@maryland.gov
VSBE Compliance Manager:
Danielle N. Davis -danielle.davis2@maryland.gov
MBE Compliance Managers:
Karen Reyes - karen.reyes@maryland.gov
Tiara Randolph - tiara.randolph@maryland.gov
Thank you to the agencies/units that have already submitted their Procurement Forecasts! If your unit has not yet forwarded the forecast, submit it as soon as possible. This is a mandatory report for all participating units. The Procurement Forecast is provided to the public and serves as a valuable tool for the small, minority, women, and veteran business community. - Procurement Forecast Portal
The FY2026 updated Procurement Forecast instructions and template are available in the SBR and VSBE Reporting Toolkits. Each unit submits only one Forecast that includes all of your eligible projected procurements over $100,000.
Please DO NOT use the FY2025 template. Also, do not modify the template. It must be uploaded to our Forecast database and cannot be uploaded if the spreadsheet is modified. If you have any questions, you may contact Lisa Mitchell Sennaar lisa.sennaar@maryland.gov
Forward completed reports to compliance.gosba@maryland.gov
The House Appropriations Committee mandated an additional round of surveys in 2025 to address ongoing concerns about the attainment of MBE goals, MBE/SBR 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 January.
Agency MBE Participation Attainment Survey (MBE Liaisons only)
The Agency MBE Participation Attainment Survey will launch on August 20, 2025.
- Surveys will be sent to Procurement Directors and MBE Liaisons.
- Liaisons will need to collaborate with procurement directors to provide accurate and scrubbed FY25 MBE annual procurement data for the survey.
- The Agency MBE Participation Attainment Survey will close on November 20, 2025.
Agency Liaison Survey (MBE & SBR Liaisons)
- A new Agency Liaison Survey will launch on August 20, 2024.
- The survey will close on November 20, 2024.
- This survey is collecting data about agency liaison vacancies and the duties of MBE and SBR liaisons.
Submission of these surveys is 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 your MBE Compliance Manager.
Karen Reyes - karen.reyes@maryland.gov
FY2025 Annual Reporting
Annual Reporting Season has Officially Begun
The FY2025 Annual Reporting season is now underway! As a reminder, FY2025 officially closed on June 30, 2025, and the new fiscal year (FY2026) began on July 1, 2025. All annual reports are due by September 30th and must include data from the start of the fiscal year.
Important Report Submission Reminders:
- Annual Report Forms in Excel Format: (Form 1 & 2, and Outreach Data).
- Contracts Inventory Report (Excel Format).
- Form 3 Web Portal (Data Entry in the Form 3 Web Portal).
- All backup documentation from both FMIS and non-FMIS users as EXCEL sheets.
- A completed FY2025 Annual Agency MBE Compliance Assessment Report EXCEL workbook and a signed Compliance Report in PDF format (1 file).
The MBE Reporting Toolkit is up to date. Review these resources to ensure accurate and timely submission.
Currently Underway: FY2025 Annual Reporting Training
Annual Report training has commenced, and the last training will conclude with a focus on the Compliance Assessment. Training sessions are still available on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, 11:00 am to 12noon and Thursday, August 21, 2025, 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm. Training slots are available through Signup Genius.
One-on-One office hours are still available. If you have questions about the FY25 MBE Annual Report, feel free to contact your MBE Compliance Managers, Karen Reyes or Tiara Randolph via email at karen.reyes@maryland.gov and tiara.randolph@maryland.gov with questions or to schedule a meeting.
Designated MBE Compliance Manager One-on-One Scheduling
Each MBE Compliance Manager has been assigned to specific participating agencies to provide more tailored and hands-on assistance. An email was sent out to each MBE liaison on January 28, 2025, and a list was provided of each agency's designation.
Below are Karen Reyes and Tiara Randolph's Calendly links to make it easy for you to schedule one-on-one sessions whenever you need guidance or have questions. We look forward to collaborating with you to ensure your success as an MBE liaison.
Karen Reyes Calendly Link
Tiara Randolph Calendly Link
Feel free to reach out via email as well:
Karen Reyes - karen.reyes@maryland.gov
Tiara Randolph - tiara.randolph@maryland.gov
FY2025 Annual Reporting
The Annual Reporting period began on July 1, 2025
The annual reporting period commenced after the close of FY2025. Annual reports are due no later than September 30th and should contain cumulative data from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025.
Please remember, units do not submit a 4th quarter report. Instead, all reporting units should work on the FY2025 SBR Annual Report, making sure to use the latest template and instructions that are in the SBR Reporting Toolkit.
An SBR Liaison FY2025 Annual Reports Training was held on July 24, 2025. We walked through the report cell by cell. If you missed the training, you may view the slide deck in our SBR Reporting Toolkit.
We are also available for one-on-one training and assistance to address any questions or concerns about SBR waivers, 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
VSBE FY2025 Annual Report Templates- Now Available
The end-of-year VSBE FY2025 Annual Reporting templates have been posted to the VSBE Reporting Toolkit to be used to prepare for the October 1st mandatory submission date. A complete VSBE Annual submission includes three items:
- Completed VSBE FY2025 Annual Form with all award and payment data
- All required backup data in Excel format, both Raw and Scrubbed of 7 categories
- Submission of the FY2025 VSBE Annual Outreach Report, which is a fillable Google form link
****Any VSBEs that were not certified in eMMA at the time of award will be extracted from your totals as they do not count per COMAR regulations****
VSBE Waivers
If your unit has approved ANY VSBE waivers in FY2025, please make sure you send our VSBE Compliance Manager a copy to vsbereports.gosba@maryland.gov
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 Catherine Porterfield, MBE Ombudsman Compliance Manager
*NEW* PRG REFERRAL WORKSHEET
Procurement Review Group determinations for solicitations valued over $25 million must be reviewed by GOSBA prior to advertisement. When submitting PRG documentation to GOSBA for review, it is helpful that sufficient information to support and explain the PRG’s determination is provided. Failure to include adequate supporting data and documentation often delays the review process, as GOSBA Compliance Managers must follow up with the submitting agency with questions or requests for additional information.
To streamline and standardize the referral process, we have developed a tool for use by all State agencies seeking GOSBA PRG review. The GOSBA PRG Review Referral Checklist summarizes pertinent information about the proposed procurement and identifies required supporting documentation. Going forward, a completed Referral Checklist should be used as the coversheet for all PRG Review requests submitted to GOSBA, with supporting documentation attached.
The GOSBA PRG Review Referral Checklist, along with instructions for its use, can be found in the MBE Toolkit on the GOSBA webpage. Please continue to submit your PRG documentation to compliance.gosba@maryland.gov.
YOUR Ombudsman Team
To strengthen the relationship between the Ombudsman Unit and state personnel implementing the MBE program, dedicated compliance managers of the Ombudsman Unit are assigned specific procurement units to ensure responsive communication and ongoing support. You can find out who your agency's Ombudsman representative is by visiting the Ombudsman webpage under the State Agency Resources link or by clicking below:
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Quarterly Compliance Call
Wednesday Aug 20, 2025, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
New Liaison Onboarding is Being Rescheduled
Thursday Aug 28, 2025 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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