NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) – Newport News leaders are taking steps to enhance city contracting accessibility for small and diverse businesses. This initiative follows an independent disparity study that found underrepresentation of minority, woman and service-disabled veteran-owned companies in city contracts.
The City Council is scheduled to vote on new policies to address these findings on July 14.
According to a news release from the city, an independent disparity study, conducted by BBC Research & Consulting, reviewed approximately $814.4 million in city contracts awarded between July 2019 and June 2024. The study found that minority, woman and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses were underrepresented compared to their availability in the marketplace…