Communication Infrastructure Group

CIG produced a weekly newsblast to a growing database of interested local and diverse firms, providing regular updates on project progress, opportunities and events. As of June 2015, the newsblast distribution list included more than 1,000 contacts. Denver's Division of Small Business Opportunity elected to maintain the publication as an ongoing service to the community. A first in the Denver-metro community, the Diversity Program team, coordinated by CIG, invited representatives from the business community to serve on the selection committees for each of the professional services and construction manager/general contractor procurements. These volunteers ensured that M/WBE participation on each proposal was weighted appropriately, bringing a new level of community involvement, transparency and legitimacy to the process. CIG learned from a survey of M/WBE firms early on that they needed the most support with business development, organization, operations and technical assistance, and set out to plan and produce more than 400 educational sessions and content targeting these areas. Throughout the program, CIG continued to gather participants' feedback via surveys, phone calls and emails to make sure the program was addressing their needs. The Diversity Program succeeded, tallying 120 contracts for as many separate M/WBE firms, 30 percent of which were receiving their first DEN contract. The CIG-supported HTC Diversity Program helped to prove and extend the City of Denver's commitment to inclusiveness. Through an integrated combination of outreach, education and opportunity, the DEN Hotel & Transit Center project has created business-building opportunities for 120 M/WBEs to earn more than $150 million over the past five years. By establishing mutually beneficial relationships between minority-owned firms looking to succeed with an iconic, high-profile project and a coalition of community organizations that can support this success, the DEN HTC Diversity Program established a model for future implementation and growth under the leadership of the Denver Office of Economic Development and DEN.