A new agreement between Fulton County’s Department of Purchasing & Contract Compliance and the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC) will make it easier for minority-owned business enterprises (MBEs) to achieve certification.
Firms that are members of GMSDC will have a streamlined certification process. GMSDC members are certified through a rigorous process developed by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). This process will also ensure that GMSDC members are placed in Fulton County’s registered vendor list, ensuring that they are notified of bid opportunities.
Fulton County prime contractors are encouraged to partner with qualified small businesses, including minority- and female-owned businesses, in order to ensure diversity in business opportunities.
Fulton County’s Interim Director of Purchasing and Contract Compliance, Felicia Strong-Whitaker, sees tremendous potential in the new registration process. “The agreement opens the doors to a variety of collaborative programs and gives Fulton County access to a whole new community of talented and innovative suppliers,” she says. “More diverse vendors bring new ideas and creative solutions to the table that will benefit the citizens of Fulton County in the long run. We expect great things from this partnership.”
Stacey Key, the President and CEO of the GMSDC, lauds the new program as an important step in achieving the organization’s primary goal – to create jobs and stimulate economic growth in Georgia. Key sees the Fulton County agreement as a big step in the right direction for Georgia’s small business community.
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