Philadelphia, November 4, 2021 – Today, City Council unanimously passed legislation that outlines criteria for determining allocation of work provided by brokers, suppliers, and manufacturers that are certified minority-, women-, and disabled-owned businesses and enterprises (M/W/DSBEs) on projects with an Economic Opportunity Plan (EOP). EOPs are agreed to by contractors or developers working for the city, as well as projects that receive financial assistance from it that set targets for subcontracts going to M/W/DSBEs.
The measure, sponsored by Councilmember Derek Green (At-Large), seeks to ensure the integrity of the City’s foremost program to encourage business opportunities with the City be extended fairly to disadvantaged businesses. The standard adopted in the legislation mirrors existing federal regulations for determining whether subcontractors are providing a “commercially useful function” in addition to delineating which work counts for manufacturers, brokers, or suppliers.
“This bill is a way to further promote equitable access to economic opportunities for M/W/DSBE’s in Philadelphia and recognize recipients of City contracts and financial support that live up to their commitments to have those who work on these projects look like Philadelphia,” said Councilmember Green. “While the purpose of EOPs is to help disadvantaged businesses grow, potentially into new lines of business, we cannot allow pass-thru entities to circumvent participation goals. I’m grateful to my Council colleagues for their support of this legislation and their unwavering dedication to creating a more just economy for all of our citizens.”
The ordinance became effective immediately. The full text is available to view here.
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