Powers and duties generally.
Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 202-403
in effectSec. 202-403. - Powers and duties generally.
The office of minority and women business development shall be responsible for performing the following functions:
(1) To monitor contract compliance, as follows:
a. By ensuring compliance with federal grant requirements respective to the utilization of minority business enterprises, women business enterprises, veteran business enterprises and disabled-owned business enterprises;
b. By reviewing city and county contracts to assure compliance with relevant federal, state and local laws and regulations on affirmative action and equal employment opportunity;
c. By functioning as a liaison between the city and county and municipal corporations and their contractors by providing technical assistance in developing affirmative action goals and monitoring these compliance efforts to meet established goals;
d. By managing and implementing the minority, women, veteran, and disabled-owned business enterprises programs and by monitoring city and county purchasing as specified in section 202-401 of this article;
e. To ensure that city contractors have made a good faith effort to reach the MBE, WBE, VBE and DOBE goals set forth in the city's utilization plan and in section 202-401, the determination whether good-faith efforts were made will consider the following objective criteria:
i. Bidder's attendance at pre-bid conference;
ii. Advertisement in general circulation media, trade publications, and minority focused media for at least ten (10) working days before bids or proposals are due;
iii. Mailings to MBE/WBE/VBE/DOBE firms notifying them of contracting opportunities;
iv. Efforts made to select portions of the work proposed to be performed by MBE/WBE/VBE/DOBE firms in order to increase the likelihood of achieving the stated goal(s);
v. Efforts to negotiate with MBE/WBE/VBE/DOBE firms for specific sub-bids, including at a minimum: the names, addresses and telephone numbers of MBE/WBE/VBE/DOBE firms that were contacted; a description of the information provided to MBE/WBE/VBE/DOBE firms regarding the plans and specifications for portions of the work to be performed; and/or a statement of why additional agreements with MBE/WBE/VBE/DOBE firms were not reached;
vi. Documented reasons for rejecting any MBE/WBE/VBE/DOBE firm(s) as unqualified;
vii. Documented efforts to provide technical assistance to any MBE/WBE/VBE/DOBE firms in obtaining bonding or insurance required by the City of Indianapolis;
viii. Documentation that interested MBE/WBE/VBE/DOBE firms were provided with prompt access to the plans, specifications, scope of work, and requirements of the contract;
ix. Documented follow-up to initial solicitations, including a copy of any call logs;
x. Any joint venture agreements with an MBE/WBE/VBE/DOBE firm relating to the contract;
xi. Any mentor-protégé agreements with an MBE/WBE/VBE/DOBE firm relating to the contract.
f. By collaborating with the office of disability affairs, OMWBD shall manage and implement the disabled-owned business enterprise program, make recommendations for improving the utilization of disabled-owned business enterprises, and monitor city and county purchasing as specified in section 202-401 of this article. The office shall be guided by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The office of disability affairs shall certify, by providing affidavits to OMWBD, that applicants are disabled; and
g. By collaborating with the office of veterans affairs, OMWBD shall manage and implement the veteran business enterprise program, make recommendations for improving the utilization of veteran-owned business enterprises, and monitor city and county purchasing as specified in section 202-401 of this article. The office shall be guided relevant policy created by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. The office of veteran affairs will provide assistance to OMWBD in identifying honorably discharged veterans from the U.S. Armed Forces and will conduct outreach to the veteran community;
h. By coordinating with the office of finance and management-purchasing division to ensure that subcontractors are paid within fifteen (15) days of the date in which the prime contractor has been paid by the city and to ensure that no coercive exclusive teaming practices have been utilized that decrease contracting opportunities for subcontractors.
(2) To make recommendations for improving the utilization of minority, women, veteran, and disabled-owned businesses by the city and county and municipal corporations;
(3) To conduct disparity studies every five years and adopt the city's utilization plan in accordance with section 202-404; and
(4) To evaluate the effect which state and federal prevailing wage legislation has on:
a. The employment and training of minorities, families, persons with disabilities and other protected groups in public construction projects funded in whole or in part by the city or county; and
b. Employers and particularly minority-, women, and disability-owned business enterprises in bidding and working in public construction projects funded in whole or in part by the city or county.
As part of its evaluation, the division shall annually conduct surveys to determine the prevailing wage rates for various classes of construction work in private construction projects in the county.
(5) To execute contracts on behalf of the office subject to the powers of the mayor and any other limitations prescribed by law.
(G.O. 37, 2020, § 1)
Source: Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County, Revised Code (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/in/indianapolis_-_marion_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITIORAD_CH202MAOF_ARTIVOFMIWOBUDE_S202-403PODUGEFetched: 10/27/2026