The City of Wilmington will take a look at whether there is inequity in the types of businesses it awards contracts to.
The City announced last week it’ll spend a quarter of a million dollars to commission a disparity study—which will evaluate the City’s procurement process to see whether it is available to and utilized by minority- and women-owned businesses.
Wilmington City Councilwoman Rysheema Dixon sponsored the resolution this spring that urged the City to conduct the study. She says there’s no data right now, but she’s noticed that few new women- or minority-owned businesses apply for City contracts. Instead, she says, it’s the same “repeat” businesses.
“It’s a short list,” she said. “So why is that? How do we make it so that it’s easier for people to interact with the City on an RFP level?”
Dixon adds that the Health, Aging & Disabilities committee she chairs will follow up on the study, to see if things like incentives or technical assistance can be put in place to diversify contract applicants.
“My path is to make sure that this is actually implemented based on the recommendations that are given to us, rather than it sitting on the shelf,” she said.
Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki said in a statement that the study will help further his goal of creating a “just city.”
The national consulting firm Miller3 will conduct the study over the course of the next year.
