On June 10, the Los Angeles City Council voted to allocate roughly $1 million to fund the replacement of the city’s antiquated procurement system with a new online platform that’s accessible to small businesses — including minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses — and prime contractors as well as city agencies.
The city’s Information Technology Agency has been tasked with getting the new system up and running as soon as possible. Backers hope that will occur by next spring.
The council also approved a plan to expand outreach efforts to these businesses, though funding for this effort has yet to be secured.
The city’s actions were welcomed by local business leaders and minority-owned businesses although some said it was not enough to ensure they get their fair share of contracts.
