The mission of the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council is to significantly increase business relationships between our corporate members and our certified MBEs. We believe that minority business development is a key component of reducing poverty, unemployment, increasing wealth, and integrating American society. You are receiving this email in order to keep you abreast of developments with the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council, Supplier Diversity Issues and Minority Business Development. If you like what you read please share internally and externally.
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| GNEMSDC and MBDA to Release Economic Impact Study at Best Practices Forum at Fenway Park November 15 |
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 The GNEMSDC and the Boston MBDA Business Center will release its first economic impact report on November 15 at the Best Practices Forum at Fenway Park, Boston. The economic impact of both the GNEMSDC and the MBDA program is substantial. Our MBEs and corporate members are major employers and economic actors in the region. The report will look at how the relationships between corporate members and certified MBEs impact total employment, minority employment, and income in every state in our region.
We are also requesting certified MBEs to submit a short article that can be included in the final report. The short article can address how the Council has assisted the development of your company or how your company has contributed to increasing employment in the area. Articles need to be submitted to fmckinney@gnemsdc.org no later than November 1, 2012.
In addition to the economic impact report, the Best Practices Forum will feature presentations by leading corporate supplier diversity professionals and some of our most successful MBEs. The event is free, but there is limited space. We encourage you to contact Sarah James at sjames@gnemsdc.org to register. And please, do not register if you do not plan on attending! This event has a capacity of 175 attendees, and we will be oversubscribed. So register early. As of last week we are at 95 percent of capacity for the room at Fenway.
Here is the Agenda for the day. |
Upcoming Events
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There are several events coming up on our calendar that are designed specifically for MBEs to learn about corporate opportunities. We know how busy everyone's schedule is, but these are events often hosted by our corporate members with the expressed purpose of finding out more about you and your business with the ultimate aim, to make you a valuable supplier to their companies. Here are some events you should consider:
- October 29 - Nestle has an interesting offer to MBEs to visit their virtual trade show booth. Please view the attached flyer for details.
- October 30 - CBIA "Shaping Connecticut's Future: 2012 Manufacturing Policy Forum" 7:45-11:30 am at the Legislative Office Building, Rooms 2c and 2D, 300 Capitol Avenue, Hartford. For information and registration, contact Adam Ney at adam.ney@cbia.com or 860-244-1933.
- November 15 - Supplier Diversity Best Practices Day at Fenway Park, Boston, 8:00 am to 11:30 am. Join us for this joint meeting of MBEs and corporate members to demonstrate case studies of the best practices of minority supplier development in New England. There is limited space for this meeting. Contact Joanne Wang to register atjwang@bostonmbdacenter.com.
- November 15 - 5th Annual Massachusetts Housing Authority MWBE Trade Fair - 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Clarion Hotel, 1080 Riverdale Street, West Springfield, MA. For more information contact James Fortune at jfortune@masshousing.com, or 617-854-1831.
- December 4 - 9:30 - 12:00 noon - GNEMSDC MBE Input Committee (MBEIC) Meeting at NSTAR in Westwood, Mass
- December 13 - GNEMSDC Quarterly Meeting at Banneker Industries 582 Great Road, North Smithfield, RI. The final Quarterly Meeting of the year is hosted by a certified MBE. On behalf of the GNEMSDC board of directors we thank our friends at Banneker Industries for inviting us to their headquarters.
- April 25, 2013 - Annual Awards Gala - Sheraton Framingham Hotel and Conference Center, MA
- June 10, 2013- MA Golf Outing- Ferncroft Golf Club, Middleton MA
- July 12, 2013- CT Golf Outing- Lyman Orchards Golf Club, Middlefield CT
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Opportunities
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- The State of Connecticut announced last week that they had received a commitment of $121 million in new funds that would build a high speed rail link between New Haven, CT and Springfield, MA. This project will have plenty of opportunities for MBEs
- The University of Massachusetts has several opportunities, including one for IT staff augmentation. Click here for more information
- Two employment opportunities from Triad Construction Services LLC. See details
- CT Lottery Sales Manager
- Positions at Treasurer's Office Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- If you need Capital or Debt, the Business Consortium Fund (BCF) has recently announced an aggressive campaign to help certified MBEs with their capital needs. Please visit them atwww.bcfcapital.com. Tell them where you heard it. This is a service explicitly for certified MBEs in the NMSDC network. Please take advantage of this opportunity
- The town of Derby, CT is looking for companies interest bidding on rehabilitation construction (heating, windows, doors carpentry and insulation) work on the 15 North Avenue, Derby, CT property. Proposals will be received until Thursday, October 25 at 11:00 AM. Proposals should be delivered to City of Derby, Office of Economic and Community Development, 2nd Floor, 1 Elizabeth Street, Derby, CT 06418. Copies of project specifications (Project # 037-06) are available Monday through Friday at the above address. Pre-bid conference on Thursday, October 18
- State of Connecticut Contract Analyst Exam is coming up. Interested individuals are encouraged to apply
- Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (MGCC) is inviting MBEs in the Greater Springfield area and other high growth MBEs throughout the Commonwealth to participate in its Tools to Grow Pilot program. For more information see the attached document
- Opportunities with the Town of Waterford: Opportunity 1 Opportunity 2
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Nomination Season is Upon Us
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| The Small Business Administration is seeking nominations for 2013 awards in CT. The various categories of awards and the award nomination instructions are included in the link here.
It is also not too soon for corporations and MBEs to begin thinking about the 2013 GNEMSDC Awards Gala on April 25 in Framingham, MA. Corporate buyers and supplier diversity managers should begin reviewing the performance of their top MBEs. And MBEs need to begin thinking about corporate supplier diversity managers and corporate buyers who have gone the extra mile on their behalf.
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| Resident Owned Business Enterprises - Section 3 Opportunities |
Last month the GNEMSDC won a contract with the Bridgeport Housing Authority (BHA) to provide entrepreneurial training for residents. One of the main factors motivating BHA is the obligation of BHA to develop and utilize resident owned enterprises (Section 3) for opportunities with the BHA. The BHA, like other housing authorities across the country, spend a significant amount of federal money (primarily from the Department of Housing and Urban Development) on the maintenance of their facilities and the construction of new facilities. In addition to the training we are providing to residents, we are also identifying where there are opportunities for Section 3 businesses to provide goods and services for the BHA. As part of our work with the BHA we are exploring opportunities for Section 3 program participants to partner with established certified MBEs. Our approach is designed to create opportunities for Section 3 business owners, certified MBEs and the BHA to all meet their goals and needs. With this in mind we have created a framework for how certified MBEs and Section 3 businesses can work together. The framework for certified MBEs and Section 3 businesses is very important. The framework addresses the following issues:
- Certification
- Ownership
- Management
- Control
- Banking
- Payroll and HR
- Taxes
- Infrastructure and Shared Resources
- Conflicts of Interests
- Internal Transfers
- Public Relations
- Contracts and RFPs
- Continuing Education
- Marketing
Certified MBEs interested in learning more about the opportunities and the requirements of working with Section 3 businesses should call the Council. We are looking to match some outstanding businesses with some aspiring entrepreneurs that will have a lasting impact on communities in need. We will hold our first meeting with potential entrepreneurs on November 13 in Bridgeport at the Gary Crooks Center at 10 am and later that same day at 7:00 pm.
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| SBA 8a Program - Yes it is Still Here! |
 The SBA's 8a program has been a central feature of the Federal government's effort to build minority businesses since the Nixon Administration. Recently, the GNEMSDC has agreed to assist the CT Regional SBA office with an outreach effort to increase the numbers of MBEs participating in this program. Having this certification can be of great value to MBEs who are seeking to enter the federal procurement space. We encourage MBEs to take a look at the the attached presentation and give us a call if you are interested in learning more about how this iconic program can help you grow your business. Our goal is to grow the number and quality of 8a firms here in Connecticut. There are millions of dollars of opportunities designed specifically for 8a firms. |
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And Finally...
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Today and the rest of this week, I am in Denver at the NMSDC Business Conference and Expo. I always look forward to attending the Expo, the educational sessions, and the meetings with my fellow presidents from around the country. This year is a particularly critical year for MBEs and corporations. Supplier Diversity is maturing. And like all industries, you cannot expect to use the same strategies to achieve changing goals. I am optimistic about the leadership of the NMSDC as we move to solve the problems facing both MBEs and corporate America. We are part of a glorious movement that brings incomes and employment to communities that have for too long been left out of the American dream. It is inspiring to see the hundreds of corporate members participating actively in the NMSDC Conference. It is great to see familiar faces and to renew conversations that may have begun years ago. If anything is true, it is that relationships are important. They need to be nurtured and cared for with love and respect. It does not mean that you win, or you expect to achieve all that you seek. My goal this week is to simply embrace those friends who are with us on this journey of opportunity and equality. As clear and as simple as our mission is, it is not to be taken for granted. I look forward to seeing you in Denver, and if you are not coming, I look forward to seeing you soon.
In your service,
Dr. Fred
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