The South Central Texas Regional Certification Agency (SCTRCA), historically the certifying authority for small, minority-owned enterprises aiming for public contracts, is set to be incorporated into Supply SA, an initiative spearheaded by local CEOs to streamline procurement procedures. This shift, announced at a SCTRCA board meeting, follows a unanimous decision on May 28 by Supply SA, as reported by the San Antonio Report.
In a bid to transform and potentially enhance the effectiveness of certification processes, various leaders have opted to consolidate operations under the Supply SA umbrella, looking to not only just increase the number of bids from small businesses but also to sharpen the certifications' return on investment. Olivia Trevieso from the OCI Group, which provides administrative assistance to Supply SA, laid out the plan saying, "to increase the number of small local businesses bidding on [available] work, increase the percentage of those small businesses actually winning the contract," as she briefed the SCTRCA board according to the San Antonio Report.
The merging decision comes after years of the SCTRCA battling with financial constraints and staffing challenges, which reportedly led to a chaotic situation in December when the board dismissed the executive director. This left the agency without leadership, exacerbating the already mounting backlog in certifications. Over time, local enterprises like Alamo Nex Construction have felt the pinch, with Jessica Bateman highlighting the difficulty in finding federally certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) for their projects, summarizing the issue during the meeting, "We've seen a dramatic decrease in the number of available [Disadvantaged Business Enterprises]."
Supply SA, which was launched in 2022, has the nailed the ambitious objective to leverage procurement as a tool for economic growth, particularly focusing on funneling more contracting dollars to small and minority-owned outfits. The integration of SCTRCA into the Supply SA framework is defined by a new interlocal agreement, significant dues increase for members, and hiring new staff. All operations will relocate to UTSA’s downtown campus, aiming to provide streamlined services for businesses looking for contracting help.
This reshuffling of responsibilities and funds holds promise for greater sustainability and support for the target businesses. "And that's great," Marisol V. Robles from SAWS and board member of the SCTRCA told the San Antonio Report, indicating optimism for the initiative. Yet, for the moment, and until the restructuring is complete, the existing certification application process stands firm without change for businesses.
