The Fort Worth City Council recently received a report on its Small Business Development Program (SBDP), which was created in 2025 following the suspension of the City's minority- and woman-owned business enterprise (MWBE) contracting program. The MWBE program was suspended following concerns that its continued operation could put the City at risk of losing federal funding (due to federal executive orders issued that year).
The report presented to the City Council indicated that the SBDP awarded 43 percent of its contract dollars (roughly $77 million out of over $170 million total) to City-certified small businesses during the period of September 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, significantly exceeding the 30 percent utilization goal set for the SBDP.
Following questions about potential disparities within the new small business program, it was stated at the City Council meeting that the City can track data about minority- and woman-owned business utilization, as long as applicants to the program voluntarily provide that demographic information, but cannot use that data for decision-making purposes.
The City of Fort Worth relies on several external organizations, including the North Central Texas Regional Certification Agency (NCTRCA), to perform certification of small businesses.
Find the City's page for the Small Business Development Program at https://www.fortworthtexas.gov/departments/econdev/sbdp.
Read more about the suspension of the MWBE program last year at https://dbegoodfaith.com/item.php?item_type=news&news_id=2528.
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