Implementing purpose-driven procurement initiatives during National Procurement Month

During National Procurement Month, the Miami-Dade County Strategic Procurement Department is proud to announce a series of purpose-driven procurement initiatives aimed to assure procurement processes are equitable to suppliers, sustainable for the environment, and beneficial to the local economy.

“As one of the largest economic engines in South Florida, Miami-Dade County and its robust procurement operation has an opportunity to diversify its contracting pool and, in turn, strengthen our local economy,” said County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “Small businesses are the backbone of Miami-Dade’s economy, and we want to make it easier for them to do business with our county government.”   

In 2022, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced contracting reforms to boost small businesses, enhance worker protections and improve County contracting processes. This year, Miami-Dade County Strategic Procurement Department is rolling out the following initiatives to continue moving forward with the announced reforms: 

• Vendor Academy
  A targeted educational platform that provides vendors with essential information and resources to do business with the County. All information can be found on the Vendor Academy’s webpage, including virtual workshops, training videos in three languages, in-person and virtual Commission district vendor workshops and outreach events, monthly onboarding events for newly registered vendors, registration bootcamps, and monthly online vendor forums.   
• Procurement Job Fair
  A regional job/career fair offering procurement career opportunities in South Florida to be held at Miami-Dade College on March 28, 2023. The event will host numerous governments, nonprofits, and educational institutions to promote procurement-related career opportunities, internships and related college programs.
• Procurement Academy
  An educational platform to provide trainings and workshops to equip staff with the knowledge and skills to successfully perform procurement functions.
• South Florida Anchor Alliance
  A collaborative of regional institutions that have harnessed their contracting opportunities into one shared platform with the goal of making it easier for small businesses to access them. Miami-Dade County is a member of the South Florida Anchor Alliance.   

“Our success is dependent on the success of our vendors and, especially, our local and small vendors that are essential to our economy,” said Namita Uppal, Director of Miami-Dade County Strategic Procurement Department. “Therefore, we must increase our outreach efforts to prospective and current vendors to enhance their ability to do business with the County.”