State University of New York at New Paltz
IN-1: Innovation 1

In 2010, the New York State Department of Economic Development commissioned NERA Economic Consulting to conduct a state-wide disparity study of minority and women owned businesses in New York State. The report, entitled the State of Minority-and Women-Owned Business Enterprise concluded "that there is strong evidence of large, adverse, and frequently statistically significant disparities between minority and female participation in business enterprise activity in New York State’s relevant market area and the actual current availability of those businesses. We further conclude that these disparities cannot be explained solely, or even mostly, by differences between M/WBE and non-M/WBE business populations in factors untainted by discrimination, and that these differences therefore give rise to a strong inference of the presence of discrimination." See page 11 of the website below: http://www.esd.ny.gov/MWBE/Data/NERA_NYS_Disparity_Study_Final_NEW.pdf This report created momentum for increasing M/WBE procurement across NYS public agencies, the SUNY System, and SUNY New Paltz. The M/WBE procurement goals for SUNY New Paltz for the State Fiscal Year 2013-14 was 19% for commodities, 26% for construction consultants, 16% for construction, and 19% for services/consultants. SUNY New Paltz achieved an overall M/WBE utilization rate of 35.59% during SFY 2013-14, greatly exceeding SUNY System goals and the STARS goal of 25% outlined in OP-15. In the fall of 2014, SUNY New Paltz hired Elizabeth Pleva as Contracting Liasion / M/WBE Liaison to further facilitate the SUNY System and the college's M/WBE procurement goals.

During the State Fiscal Year 2013-14, SUNY New Paltz achieved a M/WBE utilization rate of 35.59%. Out of a total of $6,558,618.56 in discretionary spending, SUNY New Paltz purchased $921,614.30 or 14.05% of goods and services from Minority Business Enterprises and $1,412.658.60 or 21.54% of goods and services from Women Business Enterprises.