Minority/Women-Owned Business Program

PURPOSE

To establish a procedure relating to the use of minority and woman owned business enterprises. 

SCOPE

The Procurement Services Department is responsible for implementing and managing efforts to support the University's goals to promote the development and utilization of Minority and Women Owned Businesses (M/WBEs) to the greatest extent possible.  Procurement Services will actively seek participation of New York State Certified M/WBE suppliers and contractors in all procurement opportunities at the College when feasible.  The efforts listed below are descriptive of the daily pro-active nature of the College's M/WBE program.

PROCEDURE

It is the policy of the State University of New York to take affirmative action to ensure that minority and women-owned business enterprises are given the opportunity to supply goods and services to the University.  

  1. Campus procedure is to allow the purchase of goods, materials, and services directly from a MWBE up $50,000.  However, the price paid should be reasonable.
  2. All procurement solicitations will include at least one NYS Certified MBE and/or WBE supplier, when possible.
  3. Procurement personnel are responsible for making every effort to locate, develop, solicit, and place orders with minority and women-owned business enterprises.
  4. Consistent with the State University of New York's commitment to and in accordance with Article 15-A of the New York State Executive Law, the College and its contractors will put forth and document a Good Faith Effort to utilize MWBE suppliers.
  5. Procurement Services will use its discretionary authority, as provided for under "SUNY Flex" legislation, to the greatest extent possible to bring increased flexibility to the procurement process and, by doing so, increase opportunities for NYS Certified M/WBE suppliers.
  6. Supplier selection will remain under the purview of Procurement Services, and purchases for certain commodities may be restricted to NYS Certified M/WBE suppliers, as needed, to meet the University's annual M/WBE utilization goals, provided the goods and/or services meet the form, function, and utility of the College at a competitive price.
  7. NYS Office of General Services contracts will be reviewed each time they are utilized to ensure contracts with NYS Certified M/WBE suppliers are given priority over those held by non-M/WBE suppliers.
  8. Procurement Services will seek to identify new NYS Certified M/WBE suppliers continuously and facilitate use of them by all applicable areas on campus.
  9. Procurement Services will communicate information about NYS Certified M/WBE suppliers to the College's procurement cardholders periodically, in an effort to direct small dollar transactions to M/WBEs.
  10. When an ordering department desires to obtain quotations independently, they shall be expected to solicit from NYS Certified M/WBE suppliers; in the absence of such quotes, Procurement Services will make every effort to identify M/WBE suppliers and solicit quotes from them.
  11. Exceptions to the above, regardless of the dollar value, must be approved by the Director or Associate Director of Purchasing & Central Services prior to ordering.

Last updated 11/10/2023.