Baltimore Department of Public Works launch contract unbundling initiative

MD News - Published Apr 10, 2023

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Baltimore Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Jason Mitchell have announced a DPW Unbundling Initiative with the goal of expanding access into public contracting for diverse and small businesses in Baltimore.

The Initiative follows on data showing that small and diverse businesses are more likely to act as subcontractors than prime contractors on DPW water and wastewater utility contracts and other City contracts. The new Initiative requires the use of a Design Build Alternative Procurement Method which would require primes to train small and diverse businesses in order to mentor them and develop their capacity for similar contracts. It would also unbundle a variety of DPW contracts, making them smaller in size and enabling small and diverse contractors to be more likely to have the capacity to bid as prime on those contracts.

"This is an initiative that I want to see implemented across Baltimore City agencies," said Mayor Scott in a statement.

Read the press release from the City at https://publicworks.baltimorecity.gov/news/press-releases/2023-03-09-mayor-scott-dpw-director-announce-new-plan-help-small-businesses.