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Supplier Diversity Newsletter |
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Greetings Partners,
Every month we share a list of the most recent state certified businesses including the business name, contact information, business description, etc. This list is best utilized regularly in combination with OMWBE's Directory of Certified Businesses.
Please contact our Supplier Diversity team for assistance using our online directory, or to schedule a virtual training for your procurement team.
Email: supplierdiversity@omwbe.wa.gov
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The last Toolkit Workshop of 2023 is taking place tomorrow! Join us on Thursday, September 28th at 10AM to discuss internal processes and how to identify the touch points for including the Tools for Equity in Public Spending and DES’ Supplier Diversity Policy. This will be a great way to bring it all together to make sure your organization is set up for success. And, as always, please send your suggestions for future topics of interest to equitytoolkit@omwbe.wa.gov.
We will post the 2024 Toolkit Workshop calendar in December.
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OMWBE celebrated 40 years of service this September by waiving certification fees through June 2024. We are so excited to invite small businesses throughout the state of Washington to get certified for FREE!
Renewal fees have also been waived, for businesses that are already certified.
While we obtained funding to waive certification fees for the next 9 months, we are pursuing sustainable solutions to eliminate certification fees long-term.
Why Certify?
- Be visible to prime and general contractors
- Gain access to valuable government contracts
- Network with contractors and government agencies
Learn more on our website: OMWBE Certification
Please help us spread the word!
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We mentioned last month, that OMWBE set aspirational spending goals for agencies for the first time in over 20 years. These goals and agency's plans to reach them have been posted on our website: Agency Reports and Plans
OMWBE will be reaching out to agencies and institutions of higher education in October to collect spending data for FY 2023. The annual reporting memo will be sent to out to leadership in the coming days. Please stay tuned!
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How long does it take to search for a certified vendor? If you are not searching OMWBE’s database routinely yet, give it 10 minutes on your next few purchases.
- Go to OMWBE’s Certified Business Directory and select the state certifications: CBE, MBE, MWBE, SEDBE, and WBE (note, if you use Access Equity, you can also search for Veteran Owned Businesses, VOB).
- Start by using the keyword search in the “Search by Business Description” field. Complete the Captcha and click on Search to see what you get (please note—there is no Captcha inside Access Equity).
- Click on the link under the Certification column to see if you are on the right track (this feature is not in Access Equity yet). You can read the business description and note the commodity codes to dial in your search. If you didn’t get any results, try using a shorter keyword or variation of the word. For example, you might get different results for “architect” than “architecture.”
- You can choose “Edit Parameters” to search again without having to start over completely.
As with most skills, searching is faster and more effective the more often you do it. Experts might even start remembering NAICS codes! But for starters, give it 10 minutes to try out on your next few purchases.
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Access Equity has 46 new organizations trained and utilizing its modules. In August, Phase 2 agencies and universities were trained on the use of the Outreach module, which enhances each organization’s ability to connect certified MWBEs with bidding opportunities throughout the state.
In September, those same agencies and universities received training for our Contract Compliance module, which will give the state a deeper insight on where its dollars are spent as it tracks agency spend down to the subcontractor level. Progress continues to be made toward the launch of 26 agencies in Phase 3a, scheduled for the first week in December 2023, and the 31 technical and community colleges that will be launched in February 2024.
The next few months will be a whirlwind of activity as Access Equity approaches full implementation, and more and more organizations start using the system.
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The Governor's Subcabinet on Business Diversity is holding an all-day workgroup session in early October that will focus on improving procurement and contracting practices. Representatives from the business community will share their own experiences contracting with the state, and the challenges that they have faced. We are excited to work with a certified business to facilitate this meeting. Our goal is to develop actionable solutions to systemic problems, increasing equity in public spending. |
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The last quarterly meeting of the Subcabinet for the calendar year will take place on November 29th. We are developing the schedule for the 2024 calendar year. If you would like to stay up-to-date as we ramp up our efforts, please take a moment to join our Subcabinet Mailing List where we will report out on the work taking place behind the scenes.
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If you would like to include others on our distribution list to receive these monthly supplier diversity emails, please let us know at supplierdiversity@omwbe.wa.gov. |
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