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Q&A
EDC's support for minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs)
1:28:09
·
109 sec
Council Member Alexa Avilés inquires about EDC's support for MWBEs, and Andrew Kimball provides details on their initiatives and achievements in this area.
- EDC awarded $235 million to MWBE contractors last year, achieving a 35% rate
- Two programs focus on small startup MWBEs: Waterfront Pathways and Construct NYC
- The Founder Fellows program supports diverse entrepreneurs in three key sectors
Alexa Avilés
1:28:09
In terms of can you speak to us a little bit about how EDC supports MWBEs to ensure that they're growing?
1:28:19
And in particular, I'm thinking about a very specific instance at BAT that EDC has invested in its growth but is now seemingly choking out this business because it's decided a peer can be used for generating revenue outside of Merit Time but as a concert venue.
1:28:42
But can you talk to me generally about how EDC is supporting its MWBEs?
Andrew Kimball
1:28:47
Sure.
1:28:48
We're really proud of our work around MWBEs.
1:28:50
I think we awarded two thirty five million dollars last year to MWB contractors.
1:28:55
I think that's a roughly 35% rate.
1:28:59
And then on top of that, we have two programs that focus on small startup MWBEs.
1:29:09
So one is called Waterfront Pathways, particularly focused on getting MWBEs into construction substations and sub sectors in which they are not in right now, particularly waterfront work.
1:29:23
So this is relevant to work at SBMT or Future Blue Highway or hopefully at BMT.
1:29:29
And then Construct NYC, where we have a pre approved list of vendors that have gone through a training program with us that can access contracts for under $3,000,000 We also have the Founder Fellows which is overwhelmingly diverse entrepreneurs in the three sectors that we focus on.
1:29:53
So those are those are some of the entrepreneurship programs we have.
1:29:58
The small business you're referring to that runs party boats at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, there has been a concern there about safety.