MIAMI — The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners has unanimously adopted a new law aimed to significantly help locally headquartered businesses obtain county contracts.
An ordinance sponsored by District 2 Commissioner Jean Monestime, and adopted by the board, allows locally headquartered businesses to participate in additional negotiations with the county if their bids on contracts fall within 15 percent of a
non-local vendor’s lowest bid.
Similarly, additional negotiations will be held for locally headquartered businesses whose bids fall within 5 percent of local vendors.
With the new procurement rules, locally headquartered businesses could compete head-
to-head with outside firms in a best-and-final-offer process to obtain county work.
The procurement process change could increase the number of county contracts awarded to businesses headquartered in Miami-Dade, and could result in cost savings for the county.
Monestime said the measure continues his push to expand contracting opportunities for small and local businesses in Miami-Dade County.
“This ordinance levels the playing field between businesses headquartered in Miami-Dade County and non-local firms seeking to win county contracts,” he said. “This is an added incentive for businesses to locate their headquarters in Miami-Dade County and hire locally. When our locally-headquartered businesses thrive, the entire county wins.”
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