The board of trustees of the Mississippi State Institutions of Higher Learning has established a new initiative to facilitate the procurement process between the state’s public universities and minority businesses. The Mississippi Public University Minority Economic Opportunity Initiative will offer tools to ensure that minority business have opportunities to compete in the bidding process.
Under the initiative, minority businesses will post information online about the goods and services they offer. Universities will solicit quotes through the online system so that minority businesses will be aware of all contracting opportunities. Minority-owned businesses will be recruited to participate and their listings will be eligible for inclusion in a featured section.
Procurement officers at the universities will be trained on how to recruit and include minority-businesses in the bidding process.