Boston's administration is gearing up to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with veteran-owned businesses. On Friday, the Healey-Driscoll Administration made a move to empower those who've donned the uniform, announcing a fresh partnership between the state's Supplier Diversity Office (SDO) and the National Veteran Owned Business Association (NaVOBA). This coalition is set to open the floodgates, granting veteran-owned businesses a smoother road toward state contracts.
With a shared mission to chip away at the bureaucratic bedrock, this alliance has its sights set on increasing state contracting opportunities for vet-led businesses. Spearheading the campaign, Governor Maura Healey stated, “Our Supplier Diversity Office does incredible work every day to expand opportunities for diverse and small businesses to win contracts with the state, which makes our businesses, our economy, and our communities stronger,” as obtained by Mass.gov. She further commended the veterans for their sacrifices and stressed the administration's dedication to supporting them.
Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll echoed the sentiment, heralding this partnership as a critical underpinning in the administration's veteran support strategy. She looks forward to simplifying business dealings with the state, as per her statement, “This new partnership is an important step in our administration’s efforts to bolster support and services for Massachusetts veterans under the leadership of Secretary Jon Santiago,” A Memorandum of Understanding inked by both entities ensures a smooth intersection, allowing NaVOBA-certified businesses to gain access to SDO certifications without having to navigate the traditional SDO application process.
The SDO's partnership with NaVOBA isn't their first rodeo in equalizing the playing field; the office has made strides before, joining hands with various organizations to enhance fairness in the bidding arena. William McAvoy, the SDO Executive Director, recognized the successes birthed from such affiliations—remarkably the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council, Center for Women’s Enterprise, City of Boston, Disability: IN, and the National LGBTBE Chamber of Commerce—essentially stating, “We expect our partnership with NaVOBA to help business owners who have served their country.” as reported by Mass.gov.
This collaboration not only aims to streamline certification procedures but also plans to utilize NaVOBA's database for outreach to potential new SDO-certified members. Secretary of Veterans Services Jon Santiago is buoyant about the initiative, reiterating his office's wholehearted backing of measures that smooth the path for veteran-owned businesses in state contracting. Echoing the overall sentiment, he stated,“The Executive Office of Veterans Services strongly supports initiatives streamlining certification for veteran-owned businesses in state contracts, and we commend the Supplier Diversity Office and NaVOBA for their dedication to empowering our veterans." he told Mass.gov. This partnership marks another advance from the Commonwealth, which lately mandated a percentage of Massachusetts construction projects’ funding to be allocated to Veteran-owned Business Enterprises and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprises, setting a precedent in the state's construction industry.
