Help for minority- and women-owned firms seeking state contracts

Minority- and women-owned businesses can find out about contracting opportunities with New York State via a virtual exposition on Thursday, officials said.

The free event, which runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., is for businesses based on Long Island and in New York City.

There will be panel discussions with experts, a discussion of  planned building projects in the metropolitan area, and information about financial and technical assistance programs.

“After helping my mother start a flower shop in our community many years ago, I’ve seen first-hand the struggles that a small business can face just to open their doors,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul, referring to the shop in Hamburg, south of Buffalo. “It’s crucial we continue New York’s strong history of lifting up minority- and women-owned businesses.”

Such businesses won more than $3 billion in state contracts during the 2020-21 state fiscal year, or 30.5%, of the total. More than 9,200 firms have been certified as owned by women or members of minority groups, officials said.

Hope Knight, CEO of Empire State Development, which organized the online exposition, said, “We have an obligation to make sure our minority- and women-owned businesses have an equal opportunity to compete for state contracts.”

To register, go to bit.ly/mwEXPO.

By James T. Madore

james.madore@newsday.comJamesTMadore

James T. Madore writes about Long Island business news including the economy, development, and the relationship between government and business. He previously served as Albany bureau chief.