(a) to encourage and assist contracting agencies in their efforts to increase participation by minority and women-owned business enterprises on state contracts and subcontracts so as to facilitate the award of a fair share of such contracts to them;
(b) to develop standardized forms and reporting documents necessary to implement this article;
(c) to conduct educational programs consistent with the purposes of this article;
(d) to review periodically the practices and procedures of each contracting agency with respect to compliance with the provisions of this article, and to require them to file periodic reports with the division of minority and women's business development as to the level of minority and women-owned business enterprises participation in the awarding of agency contracts for goods and services;
(d-1) to require all contracting state agencies to develop a four-year growth plan to determine a means of promoting and increasing participation by minority-owned and women-owned business enterprises with respect to state contracts and subcontracts. Every four years, beginning September fifteenth, two thousand twenty, each contracting state agency shall submit a four-year growth plan as part of its annual report to the governor and legislature pursuant to section one hundred sixty-four of this chapter.
(e) on January first of each year report to the governor and the chairpersons of the senate finance and assembly ways and means committees on the level of minority and women-owned business enterprises participating in each agency's contracts for goods and services and on activities of the office and effort by each contracting agency to promote employment of minority group members and women, and to promote and increase participation by certified businesses with respect to state contracts and subcontracts so as to facilitate the award of a fair share of state contracts to such businesses. The comptroller shall assist the division in collecting information on the participation of certified business for each contracting agency. Such report may recommend new activities and programs to effectuate the purposes of this article;
(f) to prepare and update, no less than annually, a directory of certified minority and women-owned business enterprises which shall, wherever practicable, be divided into categories of labor, services, supplies, equipment, materials and recognized construction trades and which shall indicate areas or locations of the state where such enterprises are available to perform services;
(g) to appoint independent hearing officers who by contract or terms of employment shall preside over adjudicatory hearings pursuant to section three hundred fourteen of this article for the office and who are assigned no other work by the office;
(h) notwithstanding the provisions of section two hundred ninety-six of this chapter, to file a complaint pursuant to the provisions of section two hundred ninety-seven of this chapter where the director has knowledge that a contractor may have violated the provisions of paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of subdivision one of section two hundred ninety-six of this chapter where such violation is unrelated, separate or distinct from the state contract as expressed by its terms; and
(i) to streamline the state certification process to accept federal and municipal corporation certifications;
(j) to make publicly available records of all waivers of compliance reported pursuant to paragraph (b) of subdivision six of section three hundred thirteen of this article on the division's website. 4. The director shall provide assistance to, and facilitate access to programs serving certified businesses as well as applicants to ensure that such businesses benefit, as needed, from technical, managerial and financial, and general business assistance; training; marketing; organization and personnel skill development; project management assistance; technology assistance; bond and insurance education assistance; and other business development assistance. The director shall maintain a toll-free number at the department of economic development to be used to answer questions concerning the MWBE certification process. In addition, the director may, either independently or in conjunction with other state agencies:
(a) develop a clearinghouse of information on programs and services provided by entities that may assist such businesses;
(b) review bonding and paperwork requirements imposed by contracting agencies that may unnecessarily impede the ability of such businesses to compete; and
(c) seek to maximize utilization by minority and women-owned business enterprises of available federal resources including but not limited to federal grants, loans, loan guarantees, surety bonding guarantees, technical assistance, and programs and services of the federal small business administration.
(d) conduct outreach events, training workshops, seminars, and other such educational programs throughout the state, including all regional offices, to state agencies, external stakeholders, and the public, to promote awareness and utilization of minority and women-owned business enterprises; and
(e) identify and establish mentorship opportunities and other business development programs to increase capacity and better prepare MWBEs for bidding on contracts with state agencies upon successful completion of the mentorship opportunity. Such mentorship opportunities shall be intended to ensure that mentor and mentee are connected based on a commercially useful function. * NB Repealed December 31, 2024