New program gives EDGE to underutilized businesses
--EOD MBE/EDGE Unit, July 2003

At the end of the biennium the newly created EDGE program began accepting applications.

As its name suggests, the EDGE program was created to provide an EDGE to underutilized businesses by Encouraging Diversity, Growth and Equity in public contracting. EDGE is a development program for economically and socially disadvantaged business enterprises. EDGE serves disadvantaged businesses, as did the former Historically Underutilized Business program, which was eliminated with the creation of EDGE.

EDGE has flexible goals for state agencies, boards and commissions regarding procurement with EDGE-certified businesses. EDGE applies to the procurement of goods and services, professional services, information technology services, and construction, architectural and engineering services.

The EDGE program is the result of the work of an interagency task force formed following the release of a two-year study sponsored by the 123rd General Assembly to determine if there was a disparity in the awarding of state business contracts.

The report found some agencies doing more business with women and minorities than others and said the extent of the disparity was difficult to determine due in part to the absence of a single system designed to collect data and maintain records. It also recommended that the state develop a race- and gender-neutral program to address inequities in contracting.

As a result, EDGE components include a statewide data-collection and record-keeping system.

The Equal Opportunity Division began cross-certifying businesses into the EDGE program that were certified through other state programs for economically disadvantaged businesses, such as the Historically Underutilized Business and Minority Business Enterprise programs. Between June 3, 2003, when the cross-certification began, and the end of the biennium 27 days later, the division cross-certified a total of 1,125 businesses.


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This article was reprinted from the 2002-2003 DAS Biennial Report.