Governor Hochul Announces 2022 Online Expo Series on Online Opportunities for Minority and Regional Women-Owned Businesses

Governor Kathy Hochul announced today that New York State will host five events as part of the 2022 Online Expo Series on Online Opportunities for Regional Minority and Women-Owned Businesses. The expos — which will connect MWBEs to New York agencies, expert resources, state project information, and tools to access state contracting opportunities — will run from April to June.

“After helping my mother start a flower shop in our community many years ago, I have seen firsthand the challenges a small business can face just to open its doors,” Governor Hochul said. “This series of events will help connect NYC MWBEs to the resources they need to continue on the path to success. As our economic recovery continues, it is crucial that we continue New York’s strong history of developing minority and women-owned businesses. “

The 2022 New York State MWBE Online Opportunities Regional Expo Series, sponsored by Empire State Development (ESD) Minority and Women’s Business Development Division, will include panel discussions, information on regional projects, workshops on specific topics and other business development resources. Exhibits will also include information about state-sponsored financial and technical assistance programs, including New York State’s COVID-19 pandemic. Small Business Recovery Grant Program, the Bridge to Success Loan Programand the New York State Bail Assistance Program.

Hope Knight, Acting Empire State Development Commissioner and President and CEO Designate, said: “We have an obligation to ensure that our minority and women-owned businesses have an equal opportunity to compete for state contracts. Every year, state agencies and authorities spend billions dollars in goods and services – and our MWBE division continues to make sure the companies bidding on these contracts reflect the diversity of the Empire State.”

Julissa Gutierrez, Chief Diversity Officer, said: “New York State is committed to ensuring minority and women-owned businesses have the support they need while recovering from the pandemic, which is why New York has the boldest and boldest MWBE program the most aggressive in the nation. The Online Opportunity Expo Series will help break down resource barriers to help MWBEs grow and access more state contracting opportunities, bringing us closer to a economy that reflects New York’s greatest asset: our diversity.

Jerome DuVal, Executive Director of the MWBE Development Division, said, “We are excited to announce our MWBE 2022 regional expo series as part of our latest efforts to empower minority and women-owned businesses through access to contracting opportunities in the public and private sectors. This year’s theme, “Earning Your Competitive Edge,” was informed by enhanced collaboration with ESD regional offices to showcase regional contracting opportunities and training resources relevant to local businesses. Attending MWBEs will have the opportunity to identify regional projects relevant to their business, network with leaders from state agencies and authorities, and obtain the resources they need to grow their business.

Increasing the use of MWBE companies in state contracts is a central goal of New York’s MWBE program. Earlier this year, Governor Hochul announced that New York State had surpassed its official utilization target of 30.51% — the highest in the nation — for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. More than $3 billion in state contracts have been awarded to MWBEs during the same period, and more than $21 billion in state contracts have been awarded to MWBEs since 2011. The State of New York has over 9,200 certified MWBE companies in its directory.

The New York State MWBE Regional Expo Series is free to all attendees and attendees and will be held virtually through Zoom. Highlights include:

• Presentations of local projects by New York State agencies and authorities, and implementers, including grantees. Attendees will learn about the project’s scope of work and how their companies can express interest.
• Networking with multiple state agencies, authorities, companies and organizations. Business owners can make real-time connections, share details about their goods and services, and ask questions.
• Workshops covering topics such as business development, procurement assistance and access to capital. Each expo workshop will target a business topic relevant to the MWBE community.

The regional exhibition schedule kicks off in New York on Thursday, April 28 and will run through June. Details below: