Enhancing Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Procurement

The New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) is the largest government procurement body in the US, responsible for purchasing over $1.5 billion in goods annually for the City of New York. In addition to supplying NYC’s needs for all contracts over $100,000, DCAS partners with Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) to ensure the reliable procurement of goods and services and support opportunities for minority and women entrepreneurs. In an effort to adhere to new state and local guidelines, DCAS has been charged with significantly increasing the value of their overall M/WBE spending. The Capstone team collaborated with DCAS to assess its existing procurement processes, analyze best practices in the field, and create a replicable model to identify commodity classes ideal for expanding M/WBE spending. The team created a case study for immediate implementation and provided recommendations and best practices for long-term change.