Boston Launches Contracting Clinics to Connect Diverse Vendors With City Procurement

Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip6211 · Meeting of July 22, 2026

Boston city officials rolled out new equitable procurement tools for minority and small businesses at a July 22 forum hosted by the YMCA of Greater Boston. Celina Byers-Millon, the city's Director of Equity and Inclusion, described a November executive order requiring city departments to report anticipated spending in advance so diverse certified vendors can be matched to contracts before they are publicly posted — including contracts below a certain threshold that require only three quotes and are never advertised. Byers-Millon announced a new industry-specific contracting clinic series launching next month, designed with consulting partner Donald of D&D and co-led by the departments that issue the relevant contracts, with sessions covering construction, electrical, professional services, and catering.

James Morton, President and CEO of the YMCA, said the organization served 837,000 meals to children and 16,000 free teen memberships last summer. The event drew representatives from 20 city departments, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and private partners Suffolk and Partners Health, all participating in a new Supplier Diversity Advisory Council established under the executive order.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 1,491 words

Source: the Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip6211 meeting of July 22, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.