State agencies are working to dismantle barriers to state contracts for small, diverse, veteran-owned businesses with DES’ help
DES is leading the way in Washington state to give historically underutilized small, diverse and veteran-owned businesses more opportunities in state contracting. In 2021, less than 1% of spending on statewide contracts was with diverse and veteran-owned businesses and less than 7% was with small businesses.
That’s one of the reasons we are working with state agencies to use the strategies in the new enterprise supplier diversity procurement policy. The policy requires agencies to use increase their spending with small and veteran-owned businesses when they contract for goods and services.
The state Department of Corrections’ senior leadership has made a commitment to increase spending with small, diverse, and veteran-owned businesses in Washington state. On March 15, we joined a training for Corrections’ procurement and warehouse managers, along with our partners from the Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) and the state Department of Veterans Affairs. We shared best practices for removing barriers that prevent small, diverse and veteran-owned businesses from competing on state contracts.
“When it comes to changing lives and building stronger communities, we are all in this together.”
-Traci Fuller, Business Diversity Program Manager, Department of Corrections
Traci Fuller leads Corrections’ contracting equity efforts and is working with all levels of the agency to implement the supplier diversity policy. Fuller is instrumental in building relationships and engagement with businesses and other state agencies. She also is part of DES’ statewide procurement inclusion and equity team, a community of practice for state agencies.
“These meetings have connected our teams with other agencies and, most importantly, the businesses we serve in Washington state,” Fuller shared. “Partnering with DES and witnessing firsthand their commitment to our shared mission in service to the State of Washington has been such a beacon of joy for me, personally. I am extremely proud to be a part of these meetings as a partner and team member.”
