Broward Schools hold opportunity event for small business vendors

May 4, 2017 Carma Henry Local News 0

Broward Schools hold opportunity event for small business vendors

Small, minority and women-owned businesses offered help in securing contracts

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – The Broward County Public School’s (BCPS) Procurement & Warehousing Services Department Supplier Diversity & Outreach Program (SDOP) will host a Business Outreach Event on May 8, 2017, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Urban League of Broward County, 560 N.W. 27th Ave., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The event will provide an overview of the new Supplier Diversity Outreach Program Policy 3330 and a 2017 Procurement Opportunities Forecast. It is designed for all businesses in the tri-county area interested in doing business with BCPS and is free to attend. Refreshments will be provided for attendees.

The purpose of the event is to unveil the new Supplier Diversity Outreach Program and provide detailed information on how to provide products and services to Broward County Public Schools. Business owners will be able to speak directly with key Broward County Public Schools staff about up-coming business opportunities.

“The School Board is keeping its promise to promote supplier diversity and ensure equal opportunity for local small, minority and women-owned businesses to provide products and services to Broward Schools,” said Mary Coker, Director, Procurement and Warehousing Services Department. “We are ensuring that there is a fair and balanced bidding environment and are eager to help vendors with the process.”

The Supplier Diversity Outreach Program builds capacity in the local business community by providing increased opportunities for underutilized business to do business with BCPS, generate growth among local businesses by providing in-creased preferences to Small/Minority/Women Business Enterprises (S/M/WBEs), and create jobs and career opportunities for local residents.

The adoption of the new Sup-

plier Diversity Outreach Pro-gram followed a Disparity Study completed in 2015 that identified barriers and various forms of marketplace discrimination that weakened the participation of minority and women-owned businesses. The new policy, approved on January 18, 2017, takes effect on July 1, 2017.

Register to attend the event at bcpsprocurement17.eventbrite.com or contact The Mosaic Group at events@upscalebymosaic.com or (561) 651-9565. For more information about the Supplier Diversity Outreach Program, call (754) 321-0505 or visit browardschools.com/sdop.