In 2023-24, Boulder County and the City of Boulder completed a disparity study to identify whether there is a level playing field for small and diverse businesses in public contracts and in the local marketplace. This research examined participation of small, minority- and woman-owned firms in county and city contracts.
A disparity study is a tool to determine if a government’s procurement procedures either actively or passively discriminate against small, minority- or women-owned businesses. The analysis compares the availability of small, minority- and woman-owned businesses in the marketplace to the contracts awarded to them in city procurements to help identify potential disparities in the purchasing process.
The City of Boulder and Boulder County will use the disparity study to understand and document any barriers or systemic inequities that may exist.
The study will serve as the basis for the City of Boulder's goals related to minority- and women-owned businesses. The study will help the city spur economic development in historically excluded communities and address longstanding systematic inequities.
The City of Boulder and Boulder County contracted with research firm Keen Independent Research to conduct the disparity study.
The study examined procurement data from the city and the county between 2018 and 2022. Keen Independent successfully surveyed more than 7,000 minority and woman-owned businesses and conducted interviews with over 550 businesses to analyze their availability and experiences contracting or applying for contracts.
