(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser joined the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development (CNHED) to celebrate the distribution of over $250 million to DC-based Minority-Owned Businesses (MBEs) through the DC Community Anchor Partnership (DCAP) since its launch in 2017. A collaborative of hospitals, universities, and utility companies, DCAP harnesses the purchasing power of these organizations to grow MBEs through consideration and inclusion in their contracts and procurement processes. Since FY22, Mayor Bowser has invested over $1 million for the administration of the DCAP program.
“Through the DC Community Anchor Partnership, we are creating more wealth, jobs, and economic opportunity for District residents,” said Mayor Bowser. “When we hire DC businesses, we create jobs for DC residents and we keep dollars in DC – all of that is good for residents, it’s good for local businesses, and it’s good for our neighborhoods.”
The initiative, led by CNHED and co-convened with DMPED, leverages the collective power of its Anchor Members—the group of leading universities, health systems, and utility companies—to support MBEs in competing for contracts and assisting minority business owners in navigating the bidding and RFP processes so they can be competitive in pursuing and securing local contracts. In the past six years, DCAP has helped increase MBE spending from large institutions from $5.73 million to over $250 million.
“DMPED is proud to have been on the forefront with CNHED in designing, leading, and implementing this transformative initiative,” said Interim Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Keith Anderson. “We thank the Anchor Institutions who have joined this effort and the pathbreaking minority firms who partnered with us to expand DCAP and help other business owners along the way.”
At the event, Mayor Bowser announced DCAP’s newest Anchor Member – Kaiser Permanente. DCAP began with four Anchor Institutions in 2017 and has since grown to 13.
DCAP Anchors Members currently include:
- Adventist Healthcare
- American University
- BridgePoint Healthcare
- Children's National
- DC Water
- Georgetown University
- George Washington University Hospital
- Kaiser Permanente
- Pepco
- Sibley Memorial Hospital
- St. Elizabeth’s Hospital
- University of the District of Columbia
- Whitman Walker
“I have been a proud supporter of DCAP since its inception and am delighted to celebrate its accomplishment of reaching the $250 million mark in awards to DC minority firms,” said Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie. “DCAP complements other racial equity initiatives that I've championed with the goal of leveling the playing field for DC MBEs, and I applaud the anchor institutions and local businesses who have helped make this initiative so successful. Kudos to CNHED for their diligent work to help local minority business owners overcome the barriers to engaging large institutions in the procurement space.”
“This accomplishment would not be possible without the robust support from Mayor Bowser, Councilman McDuffie, and all of the participating community institutions,” said Stephen Glaude, President and CEO of CNHED. “The DCAP Anchor Institutions in particular deserve great credit for undertaking this effort to support local minority-owned businesses. Not only have business owners benefited greatly from these efforts but also District residents who are employed at these companies, launching a chain reaction of economic opportunity and growth.”
“From RFP matching and bid assistance to additional training, opportunities, and access to capital, CNHED’s DCAP initiative has helped to grow my business exponentially. I’ve won highly competitive contracts with some of the District’s largest companies and have profoundly expanded my relationships and connections in the space,” said Shinar Little, Founder of Foghill, LLC, a full-service facilities maintenance company. “One of the reasons I started Foghill was to help increase access and availability of stable jobs in my community. Thanks to DCAP, I’ve able to provide more opportunity for my neighborhood.”
“Kaiser Permanente is thrilled to support the growth of the DC Anchor Partnership, both as an anchor member and as a funder,” said Ondrea McIntyre-Hall, Senior Director of Community Health at Kaiser Permanente. “At Kaiser Permanente, we know that a thriving, diverse business community and equitable economic opportunity are foundational to the health and wealth of the Capitol Region.”
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