City reports a 132% jump in contracts to diverse firms. On construction jobs, Boston residents' share is 19%

Who gets Boston's business, and who gets the jobs it pays for, came up twice this month at City Hall.

On Tuesday, Oct. 27, the Wu administration opened its fourth annual Supplier Diversity Week with new numbers, according to a city release:

• The city awarded $752 million in contracts to certified minority- and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs) in fiscal 2023 through 2026, up 132% from $324 million in the previous four years.
• Discretionary spending with certified M/WBEs was $504 million over the same period, up 115% from $234 million.
• In fiscal 2026, the city had 1,076 actively certified businesses across its minority, women, small and small-local categories.

Mayor Michelle Wu said in the release that healthy neighborhoods "depend on all residents having access to good-paying jobs." The week's Supplier Diversity Opportunity Fair is today, Oct. 28, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Bolling Building, according to the release.

What our records show: the share, not just the growth

The release reports growth. At a budget hearing on April 30, City Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune cited a different measure: the share. She said city data showed that in fiscal 2026 only about 10% of total contracting dollars and 11.6% of discretionary spending went to businesses owned by women and people of color, while noting that was an improvement (watch at 2:32:52). Both figures can be true at once: spending with certified firms can more than double and still be a small slice of the total.

At the same hearing, City Councilor Miniard Culpepper asked whether Boston has a new disparity study planned, the analysis that underpins legal contracting goals (watch at 1:00:06). A city official said the city was preparing a request for proposals for one but could not yet give a date (1:00:20).

Related council items:

• Culpepper's ordinance creating a procurement readiness pilot for minority business enterprises (docket 0808) has 12 sponsors and has been in the Government Operations Committee since April 15.
• Louijeune's order for a hearing on equitable contracting for major sporting events in Boston (docket 0186) has been in committee since Jan. 28.
• City Councilor Brian Worrell's request for information on M/WBE participation at the White Stadium project (docket 0700) passed April 1; the administration's answer was filed in May (docket 0983).

The jobs side

The Boston Residents Jobs Policy sets goals for who works on city projects and on private developments over 50,000 square feet: 51% of work hours for Boston residents, 40% for people of color and 12% for women (watch at 14:30).

At an Oct. 15 Labor and Economic Development Committee hearing chaired by Worrell (docket 0218), city staff reported that from April 1 to Sept. 30 the office monitored 150 projects with about 3.76 million work hours. Boston residents worked 19% of those hours, people of color 44% and women 7% (watch at 25:01). On private projects the resident share was 18%; on public projects, 22% (24:41).

City Councilor Ed Flynn asked whether Inspectional Services checks a project's compliance before issuing a building permit (watch at 31:09). A staff member answered that it does not at this time (31:27). Staff said the next annual report on wages lost when projects miss the resident goal is due in April (17:18).

What's next

The hearing order on the jobs policy remains in Worrell's committee. The city's full Equity in Contracting Report for fiscal 2026 is linked from the release. Supplier Diversity Week events continue through Friday.