Problem
HCC was concerned that DEN had a bundled, large multi-year contract that was potentially preventing local participation. It was also concerned with the procedure steps in the RFP and selection process that weren’t honoring the commitments to the local MWBE/DBE community. In fact, the contract was being awarded to firms outside of Colorado, even though our state has 974 MWBE-certified companies in the janitorial services sector.
Action
Multiple community organizations (including HCC, Colorado Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Adelante Community Development, Mi Casa Resource Center, CLLARO, the Pueblo Latino Chamber of Commerce and the Colorado Springs Latino Chamber of Commerce, among others) joined in the effort to resolve this problem and express their concerns about the negative impact in the original structure of the janitorial contract to DEN.
They explained that the recognition and willingness by Flagship to change the initial structure would demonstrate a commitment to include local MWBEs that represent the diversity of the Denver and Colorado landscape.
Result
DEN moving to unbundle the contract. However, since the decision of selecting diverse local firms for the JV MWBE mentor project and subcontractor(s) will be done at a later day (after the approval from the City), the organizations will need to continue to monitor and seek updated information, for value and contract terms, when the selection process is finalized. This commitment to monitor the contract and the un-bundling process will be continually revised by the community and interested parties to strengthen the relationships between DEN, Flagship and the MWBEs involved.