(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser released the Small Business Enterprises (SBEs) Opportunity Guide for Fiscal Year 2021, also known as the “Green Book,” which provides a comprehensive look at the spending goals for District agencies and outlines resources to increase access to procurement opportunities. The Green Book releases includes a goal of $917 million for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) to be spent on SBEs. In Fiscal Year 2020, the Bowser Administration committed to spend $910 million with SBEs, and exceeded that goal by spending more than $976 million.
“Small businesses are the backbone and driving force behind our local economy. When they succeed, so do our neighborhoods and residents,” said Mayor Bowser. “This year’s Green Book is about giving our small businesses a fair shot by investing in them through the procurement process. And, each year, we’ve increased our spending goal so we can enhance equity and create even more economic opportunities for our entrepreneurs. We will continue to support our small business community, no matter the economic climate.”
The Green Book assists SBEs in navigating the local government procurement process by providing an agency-by-agency overview of SBE spending availability. Additionally, the new Green Book website allows SBEs to search for opportunities in real time with the power-packed engine of an interactive dashboard. The site brings the spending data in the Green Book to life with dynamic data that businesses can easily sort opportunities by District agency and products or services. Through the website, District small and local businesses will be able to easily identify current opportunities and make informed connections with District agencies that will make it easier for entrepreneurs to start, grow, and maintain their businesses. SBE is a certification category, which is part of the DC Government’s Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) program that gives certified businesses a preference when bidding on District Government contracts.
“This year, our small and local businesses have shown how resilient they can be in facing many challenges and we have been there to support them at every step of the way,” said Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio. “The FY21 Green Book represents our latest commitment to ensuring that our entrepreneurs and workers will continue to thrive in neighborhoods throughout the District.”
“Even in the darkness of a global pandemic, the resolve and resilience of the District’s small and local businesses, as well as our Mayor’s continual commitment to keeping local dollars local, shines through,” said Department of Small and Local Business Development Director Kristi Whitfield. “We are excited to take the Green Book all-digital with a robust website that is fully-equipped with an all-new, interactive District Spend Data Dashboard that allows businesses to search and download detailed information about current District opportunities with the click of a button.”
The FY20 expendable budget for District Government agencies is $1.8 billion, of which at least 50%, or $917 million, must be spent with SBEs. The spending goal is the result of an improved goal-setting process adopted by DSLBD following a top-to-bottom, data-driven analysis of past practices and agency budgets.
View the FY21 Green Book and Interactive District Spend Data Dashboard online at www.GreenBookDC.com.