Denver International Airport (DEN) said a record-breaking $742,307,800 million has been paid to historically underutilized businesses and Small Business Enterprise (SBE)-certified firms since 2021, and an increase of 105% compared to the three years prior
In federal fiscal year 2022, DEN also exceeded its federally determined business contracting goal of 27.6%. The Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (ACDBE) achieved 31.95% participation for concessions. In addition, ACDBE concessions business revenue was the highest it’s been in the past six years, reaching more than $200 million in 2023 to date.
“We are proud of the work we have been doing to reduce barriers for small, women and minority-owned businesses,” DEN CEO Phil Washington said. “The numbers show that our work is making a difference and that DEN is providing opportunities for more businesses to share in our success while contributing to the economic health of our region.”
DEN’s equity enhancements to its procurement process include adding language to competitive solicitations that includes detailed information about DEN’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) requirements; a required Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity Plan submission as part of proposals; and an effort to promote greater diversity in the composition of evaluation panels.