As many of you know, Metro is a big agency with a not-so-tiny budget — $6.1 billion in the coming fiscal year. Like many other government agencies, Metro hires contractors for a variety of services, ranging from the big things such as building a rail line to the decidedly less sexy things such as providing uniforms.

In recent times, Metro has also been striving and succeeding at giving more businesses — including small and/or minority-owned firms — a chance to compete for contracts. Metro Connect, which is part of the agency’s Diversity & Economic Opportunity program, has a simple mission:

To ensure that ALL Los Angeles County residents, whether they have their own business or know someone who does, realize that Measure M is supporting the  development of a flourishing small business community, in addition to the cutting edge transportation initiatives that are being developed by the agency.

This effort is actually embedded in Metro’s contracting department (called Procurement in government-ese) to ensure attention to goals and appropriate set-asides for small firms are an integral part of every contracting effort.

Below are a few pages from Metro Connect’s most recent newsletter. I think they’re very accessible and small business owners may find them interesting. If you know someone who owns a small business, please share this post. The Metro Connect page on metro.net also has helpful information.