Capacity Building and Outreach

The Office of Supplier Diversity is dedicated to creating and implementing programs, policies and procedures that assist underserved, under-utilized and disadvantaged businesses with gaining greater access to procurement opportunities and resources to build competitively viable and sustainable businesses in and for the City of New Orleans.

Capacity Building

A lack of access to capital, credit, and surety bonding limits the ability of DBE firms to compete in the open marketplace. As a result, the Office of Supplier Diversity is developing programs that help DBE firms improve access to the tools they need to grow.

Mentor-Protégé Program

The City of New Orleans is committed to the growth and development of the State and Local Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (SLDBE) community and its ability to compete in the general marketplace. In this interest, The Office of Supplier Diversity (OSD) has developed a Mentor-Protégé Program (“Program”) to enhance the capacity and capability of SLDBE firms and thereby expand opportunities for DBE participation on municipal contracts.

Through hands-on and classroom training experience, the Program strives to develop working relationships between SLDBE firms and prime contracting firms that have successfully participated in and/or completed municipal contracts. Learn more about the Mentor-Protégé Program.

Small Business Assistance Fund

The goal of the BuildNOLA Mobilization Fund is to assist creditworthy DBEs with securing working capital, lines of credit, contract loans or construction mobilization loans.

Bonding Assistance

The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers surety bonding assistance to small businesses for public and private projects. SBA guarantees bid, performance and payment bonds issued by surety companies. This Federal guarantee encourages surety companies to bond small businesses who are having difficulty obtaining bonding on their own.

Outreach

The Office of Supplier Diversity engages in outreach events through its partnering agencies and stakeholders. Our outreach efforts seek to facilitate the flow of information regarding procurement, training and other technical assistance opportunities to DBEs.