The Minneapolis Small Business Forum at the Mosaic Venue, originally scheduled for last weekend, was rescheduled to Thursday, October 30, after State Sen. Omar Fateh had a family emergency. Mayor Jacob Frey, who did not attend the initial session, was also absent from the rescheduled event, citing growing campaign demands.
The forum underscored how the city’s contracting system remains deeply unfair for BIPOC-owned businesses.
Fateh announced that, if elected mayor, he would create an Office of Small Business Success and a real-time Procurement Equity Dashboard to improve transparency and support for underserved vendors.
“I know that there are a couple of roles within CPED [Community Planning & Economic Development], but that’s not enough,” Fateh said. “We need to have a direct office that can serve as a one-stop shop that’s fully funded, fully staffed. Businesses should be kept up to date on who’s being awarded contracts, what’s being awarded, and why.”
The state senator’s proposals mirror efforts already underway in other U.S. cities. Boston has an “Equity in City Contracting Dashboard” that publicly reports contract awards to certified minority- and women-owned businesses. Portland, Oregon publishes a “Procurement Data Dashboard” built on the Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS), allowing users to track solicitations through contract awards and payments.
“We need to launch a real-time Procurement Equity Dashboard so that the public can track in real time, not just contract opportunities, but where and who is getting awarded contracts, because we believe that transparency isn’t something that’s just for the end of the year,” Fateh said.
“White male-owned firms received 84% of the city’s contracts, while Black-owned firms received just 1.2%.”
Despite representing 24% of available vendors, minority- and women-owned businesses received only about 7% of prime contracts between July 2016 and June 2023, according to the city’s 2025 Joint Disparity Study.
Moderator Lynn Pingol cited stark figures: “White male-owned firms received 84% of the city’s contracts, while Black-owned firms received just 1.2%, women-owned firms 2.1%, Asian-owned firms 3.4%, and Native American-owned firms 0.3%. These figures do not reflect a lack of qualified vendors. They reflect a system that lacks the tools to ensure fair access.”
Jazz Hampton, attorney, mayoral candidate, and founder of Turn Signal, outlined a three-step plan to reform the procurement process:
- Act on the data.
- Make the RFP process transparent with practical feedback.
- Rotate decision-makers periodically to reduce bias.
“Listen, RFPs and this procurement process aren’t meant to be like the bar exam,” Hampton said. “Here is what you need to understand: why you weren’t chosen. If you remedied X, Y, and Z, you would be right up there with everybody else.”
Hampton also discussed balancing environmental justice concerns with opportunities for affected communities to bid on contracts.
“If we’re talking about shutting down the HERC and then building additional opportunities to generate energy and manage waste within our city, how are we ensuring that the contracts go to members who have been displaced and mistreated in that very community?” Hampton said.
Frey described his bid for a third term as a race stacked against him, facing Fateh, Hampton, and Rev. DeWayne Davis, but maintained that voters will see through the challenge.
“It’s interesting because I see all the independent expenditures that are supporting you, sending out mailers telling people how to rank their ballot,” Davis said at the WCCO debate days earlier.
“I speak for myself, you speak for yourself,” Frey responded.
Asked what sets his approach apart from Fateh and Hampton, Davis highlighted his federal budget and policy experience along with a commitment to inclusive governance. He previously worked on appropriations for former Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer.
“I’ve spent a long time,” Davis said. “I have a lot of experience. I bring that experience to this effort. I believe that governing should be a process that everybody participates in at every level.”
The Minneapolis mayoral election is on Tuesday, November 4.
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