Department: Economic Equity and Opportunity
Department Head/Elected Official: Estella Gonzalez
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Supplemental RCA
Type of Request: Contract - Award
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): Houston Minority Business Council
MWDBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWDBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request by the Department of Economic Equity & Opportunity for approval of an agreement to award $69,650 in grant funds to the Houston Minority Business Council for the Pathways to Prime program, funded with general funds authorized by the Local Government Code Chapter 381.004.
end
Background and Discussion:
On January 9, 2024, Commissioners Court approved a 381 grant-funded program (now called the Pathways to Prime program) to foster the creation of new M/WBE businesses and support the growth of existing ones, by providing various capacity-building programs and initiatives.
On April 1, 2024, the Harris County Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity (DEEO) issued a Notice of Fund Availability (NOFA) to non-profits, community development corporations, and community development financial institutions, soliciting proposals for technical assistance and training programs for Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs).
The application period closed on May 31, 2024, with 17 applications received. The evaluation committee, including DEEO, Purchasing, and Precinct observers, selected the highest-scoring initiatives to best support M/WBEs and increase their participation in County contracts.
DEEO is requesting to award Houston Minority Business Council $69,650.00 for the period of November 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025 for programs that provide certification support. The Vendor Diversity division will administer and oversee the grant program. Throughout implementation, the recipient will collect and report data metrics to DEEO, and grant funds will be disbursed to the recipient based on their reporting and program progress.
Expected Impact:
The Houston Minority Business Council will provide certification support through virtual, and in-person sessions designed to guide minority businesses in obtaining their M/W/DBE certification This support aims to enhance their competitiveness and access to contracting opportunities. Additionally, the Houston Minority Business Council Inc. will facilitate the HMSDC certification (MBE) for 60 potential MBEs for one year, which includes automatic State of Texas HUB certification for each participating entity, at no additional cost.
The goal is to foster the creation of new M/WBE businesses and support the growth of existing ones, to increase their chances of securing County contracts and becoming prime contractors.
This request will be funded using existing general fund budget, it will not require an increase to DEEO’s FY25 budget.
Alternative Options:
The Commissioners Court could forgo approving this request, resulting in DEEO’s inability to implement this program, and allocated funds will remain unutilized.
Alignment with Goal(s):
_ Justice and Safety
X Economic Opportunity
_ Housing
_ Public Health
_ Transportation
_ Flooding
_ Environment
_ Governance and Customer Service
Prior Court Action (if any):
|
Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
|
1/9/2024 |
83 |
New programming to enhance Minority Owned Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE) capacity using Local Government Code Chapter 381.004 authority. |
|
1/10/2023 |
316 |
Approved to develop a new Chapter 381 Agreement |
Location:
Address (if applicable):
Precinct(s): Countywide
|
Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
|
Service Name |
Inclusive Procurement, Vendor Diversity |
|
|
|
Current Fiscal Year Cost |
Annual Fiscal Cost |
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|
Labor |
Non-Labor |
Total |
Recurring Expenses |
|
Funding Sources |
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Existing Budget |
|
|
|
|
|
1000 - General Fund |
$ |
$69,650.00 |
$69,650.00 |
$ |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Total Current Budget |
$ |
$69,650 |
$69,650 |
$ |
|
Additional Budget Request (Requires Fiscal Review Request Form) |
|
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Total Additional Budget Request |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Total Funding Request |
$ |
$69,650 |
$69,650 |
$ |
|
Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new PCNs) |
|
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Current Position Count for Service |
- |
- |
- |
- |
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Additional Positions Request |
- |
- |
- |
- |
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Total Personnel |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Anticipated Court Date: October 29, 2024
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date):
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or COVID-19 related item
Contact(s) name, title, department:
Estella Gonzalez, Executive Director, Economic Equity and Opportunity
Maya P. Thornton, Director, Inclusive Procurement, Economic Equity and Opportunity
Attachments (if applicable):
Grant agreement with The Houston Minority Business Council Inc.
Copy of Notice of Funds Availability