The Office of Equity and Inclusion is launching the next iteration of the Learning Series: Doing Business with the City of Frederick.
Geared towards any small business in and around The City of Frederick, this series focuses on providing a comprehensive overview of how businesses can participate in government contracting, specifically as part of the Small Business Reserve (SBR) program and the Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) program.
These programs, created as part of an approved resolution to adopt changes to the Purchasing Polices of the City of Frederick by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen in November 2021, support the City’s desire to procure goods and services from small businesses of all types.
As an important pillar of these programs, the City performs comprehensive outreach to vendors available to do business with the City. The City procures a long list of goods and services every year, typically in the industries of construction (and related trades), architecture, engineering, industrial equipment and maintenance, heating/ventilation/air conditioning, general services (cleaning, maintenance, and painting), and professional services (consulting, design, etc.).
As part of our outreach, The City provides opportunities for businesses to learn how to participate in our programs. Last year, the Office of Equity and Inclusion hosted its first learning series to introduce businesses to the new programs and encourage their participation.
This year’s learning series will cover a variety of topics, including:
The registration process to become a vendor that can participate in city procurement
The process to become a certified Small Business Enterprise and/or Minority or Women Owned Business Enterprise, including a self-certification option in the City
The process for participating in the procurement process
The basics of understanding the requirements to submit a proposal or bid on City projects.
The City of Frederick partners with other organizations to provide additional support to businesses during the learning series and connect them with outside resources. Organization that City plans to partner with this year include the Maryland Small Business Development Center, Frederick County Government, the Maryland Department of Transportation, and English with a Purpose, LLC.
Dates, times, locations, and registration information for the fall sessions of the learning series have been posted on the City’s website. RSVPs are encouraged!
The City of Frederick encourages all eligible businesses to register with the City to receive information about upcoming procurement opportunities. Businesses can learn more about the registration process on the City’s Purchasing website.