The State of Minority- and Women- Owned ... - Cleveland.com

Anecdotal Evidence of Disparities in the City of Cleveland’s Market Area
It’s too bad we have to have an MBE program, but we do.
There’s a reason that there is a minority program. It’s because everybody deals with their
friend.… It’s a necessity that you legislate so that everybody has a fair playing field.
After that study [for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District and the agency’s
resumption of race- and gender-conscious remedies] we have been getting more
opportunities to bid.
Some prime firms just go through the motions about using M/WBEs.
[The general contractors] send you out a bid where the bid is due tomorrow. We don’t
have no price, we don’t have nothing…. And they do that because as the gentleman said
over here, they’re filling their quotas.
4. Barriers to Obtaining Work as Prime Vendors
A particularly difficult challenge, especially for professional services and other services firms, is
obtaining access to prime contracting opportunities. M/WBEs would much prefer to perform as
direct vendors to the City and other clients, yet the barriers of discriminatory attitudes,
stereotypes about their capabilities, and longstanding networks often keep them pigeonholed into
sub-vendor roles.
[City staff can say] we went with the big firm, so that’s that cover your back thing.
Minorities [need to] become primes.
The only way to do it is to go as the prime. I mean I think we’ve had much more success
going after a job as a prime than ever getting anything from a MBE [program].[The
resumption by many City staffers] is that if you’re certified you’re going to bid the sub
work only.… You’re constantly in overcome mode just to be at a level playing field, and
that’s problematic.
Because I’m a minority-owned business, why do you automatically assume that I want to
be a subcontractor?
Most participants agreed that the City should count the participation of M/FBEs serving as prime
vendors towards the contract goals.
It’s horrible [that the City does not count prime M/FBE participation].
Recognize an MBE as a prime.… That will help the City to move forward and show that
there are real and substantial opportunities going to MBE firms. It’s important for MBEs
to come out of the sub only or the sub mostly category and earn their way to elevation.
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