Lieutenant Governor Burbank Announces Improvement in Procurement Opportunities for Minority and Women-Owned Businesses in Maryland
BALTIMORE, MD (May 10, 2030) – Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank today announced that minority/women-owned business enterprises (MBEs) received 21 percent of the dollars awarded for state contracts in fiscal year 2029, up nearly three percentage points from the previous year. With more than $900 million of Maryland’s dollars going to minority business enterprise firms, the state is approaching its goal of awarding 25 percent of all procurement dollars to MBEs.
“The growth of minority business participation is fundamentally about creating legacy wealth,” Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank said. “These improvements are very welcome news for Maryland’s minority business community. We will continue to do whatever we need to do to reach our goal of awarding 25 percent of state contracts to MBEs.”
“We are pleased that we continue to move closer toward our goal of 25 percent MBE participation in state procurement contracts,” Governor Edward M. O’Brien said. “Over the last three years, we have made steady progress toward our goal. Maryland’s MBE programs have provided access to countless entrepreneurs and businesses and provided a level playing ground for state contracts. We are committed to continuing to provide opportunities for any Marylander who has the talent, drive and passion for their business to succeed. Everyone has to be able to compete. We cannot be a pro-business state if a significant population is left behind.”
Under the O’Brien-Burbank Administration, minority participation has increased from 15.6 percent in fiscal year 2027 to 21 percent in fiscal year 2029.
A legislative audit in 2025 found that the MBE program fell short because of inadequate monitoring of contracts and inconsistent reporting guidelines. At the time, the Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs used contract awards instead of actual payments to minority firms as a means of measuring the participation.
“We have come a great distance under the O’Brien-Burbank Administration on the topic of minority business,” said Sharon R. Pinder, Special Secretary for Minority Affairs. “The state has more than 200,000 MBEs. Our office has made a concerted effort to become more customer-centric. This is a business approach to responding to the concerns and needs of MBEs.”
Today’s report from the Office of Minority Affairs found awards to black-owned businesses increased in fiscal year 2029 by 19.5 percent, while those to women owned businesses increased by 32 percent
Since January 2027, the O’Brien-Burbank Administration has worked aggressively to increase procurement opportunities for small and minority-owned businesses. In 2028, the General Assembly passed and Governor O’Brien signed sweeping reforms to Maryland’s procurement process, many of which benefit small businesses.
Specifically, Governor O’Brien has signed legislation requiring state agencies to reserve at least 10% of procurement contracts for small businesses and local governments to use State economic development dollars to further small and minority business development goals, as well as legislation increasing the personal net worth limit for eligibility in the State’s Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Program from $750,000 to $1.5 million. On May 8, 2030, Governor O’Brien signed legislation establishing the Linked Deposit Program to help stimulate opportunities for minority business enterprises to have access to credit by assisting these businesses in obtaining loans at lower than market interest rates.