The Charles County Department of Economic Development is currently considering plans for making reforms to its Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and its Small Local Business Enterprise (SLBE) program with the goal of making the programs more accessible and beneficial to local businesses. The reforms are informed by the recommendations of a recently-completed disparity study the County conducted.
The measures that have been proposed include: organizing monthly training events aimed at providing an on-ramp for companies that wish to be certified but wish for assistance in understanding all the requirements for certification; setting an internal goal of having 250 SLBEs certified by the end of 2022 (currently, 201 are certified); and further social media outreach. A formal implementation plan is due to come later.
The proposals come after the disparity study the County conducted found significant underutilization of minority- and woman-owned businesses in County contracting relative to their availability. The disparity study's recommendations include eliminating the use of on-call contracts and setting annual aspirational goals, among other measures.
Find the County's page for the disparity study at https://www.meetcharlescounty.com/charles-county-disparity-study/.
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