More than $13M in Wayne County Airport Authority contracts were awarded to certified small business enterprises in FY2010.
Twenty percent of all non-federally funded operations and maintenance contracts was spent with certified small, local firms, up from 2% in FY2009. The WCAA certified 114 new SBEs in FY2010, an increase of 70% over the previous year.
“The dramatic growth of our Small Business Enterprise program in its short existence is evidence that the airport authority is committed to furthering the airport authority’s mission to provide our region with world-class transportation facilities in a manner that also fosters economic opportunity,” says WCAA Interim CEO Genelle Allen. “Small businesses are a key component in the area’s economic success, and the airport authority’s aim is to facilitate that success to the greatest extent possible.”
The airport authority launched its SBE program in April 2008 in order to create more opportunities for qualified small businesses in Wayne, Macomb, Oakland and Washtenaw counties to participate in authority contracts. Under the program, certified SBE firms that submit bids or proposals as either prime or sub contractors receive an equalization credit that is based upon the value of the contract being solicited and is calculated in comparison to the lowest qualified bid received. The structure of equalization credits is designed such that SBEs can compete more equally with larger firms while preserving incentives for all firms to continue to provide their most competitive bids.
“Providing opportunities for small businesses has been a priority of mine since joining the airport authority board in 2006,” says Wayne County Commissioner Bernard Parker. “I am very pleased that the authority’s outreach efforts are paying tangible dividends.”
So far in FY 2011, $398,502 in new contracts has been awarded to certified SBEs, an increase of 155% over the same two-month period in 2009; the fiscal year runs Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.
“The growth of the Authority’s SBE program is really the result of an organizationwide commitment to small business growth in Southeast Michigan,” says WCAA Procurement Director Shelia Anderson. “We have intensified outreach efforts to increase awareness of the airport authority’s Small Business Enterprise Program making sure local, small firms receive every opportunity to bid on upcoming airport authority projects.”
There are 283 companies certified through the authority’s SBE program. The certification process was created to be simple, and most certifications are completed within 21 days of application.
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