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Rethinking Procurement for Equity
Atlanta BeltLine Inc. supports equitable economic growth through urban redevelopment projects along its railway corridor-turned-multiuse trail. Credit: John Becker, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.
Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI) set ambitious goals to foster economic development with a $20 billion investment—but they soon realized they were falling short on their aim to work with more disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs) in the city.
Through intensive outreach, ABI, which operates a railway corridor-turned-multiuse trail in the Georgia capital, identified roadblocks that were preventing DBEs from answering their requests for proposals (RFPs). Turns out, their payment schedules weren’t ideal for DBEs, which often have less sustaining capital and therefore need to be paid more quickly. ABI’s insurance requirements were also deemed cumbersome.
So ABI modified their procurement policy. They worked with their finance department to pay vendors within three months. They also launched a vendor registry portal where they publish their contracting needs, answers to frequently asked questions and helpful resources like a video that explains how vendors can become eligible to do business with ABI. ABI is tracking DBE participation and, as of 2021, they have a new goal: 50% of procurement contracts held by DBEs by 2024.
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CREATE A WORK PLANAtlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI) set ambitious goals to foster economic development with a $20 billion investment—but they soon realized they were falling short on their aim to work with more disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs) in the city.
Through intensive outreach, ABI, which operates a railway corridor-turned-multiuse trail in the Georgia capital, identified roadblocks that were preventing DBEs from answering their requests for proposals (RFPs). Turns out, their payment schedules weren’t ideal for DBEs, which often have less sustaining capital and therefore need to be paid more quickly. ABI’s insurance requirements were also deemed cumbersome.
So ABI modified their procurement policy. They worked with their finance department to pay vendors within three months. They also launched a vendor registry portal where they publish their contracting needs, answers to frequently asked questions and helpful resources like a video that explains how vendors can become eligible to do business with ABI. ABI is tracking DBE participation and, as of 2021, they have a new goal: 50% of procurement contracts held by DBEs by 2024.
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