Objective

The East Baltimore Development Inc.’s Economic Opportunity Initiative promotes the involvement of Minority-Owned (MBE), Women-Owned (WBE), and Locally-Owned Businesses (LBE), along with the employment of local residents in the ongoing economic transformation of the East Baltimore Revitalization Area.

The initiative takes a long-term philosophy, seeking to provide professional development opportunities and business incubation services to start-up businesses, while it simultaneously strives to increase Baltimore’s local capacity for the accurate monitoring of economic inclusion goals and objectives on large scale projects.

Through the workforce development programs that are part of this initiative, EBDI also seeks to assist the residents living in the project area in both connecting with new employment opportunities and connecting with meaningful, life-long careers.

Goals

During the initial phase of the project, EBDI has focused its efforts on encouraging MBE, WBE, and LBE firms to economically participate in contracting opportunities available in the areas of Construction; Architecture and Engineering; and General Services.

At the outset of the East Baltimore Revitalization Initiative, EBDI established the following goals for economic inclusion of these businesses and, to date, has made good and substantial progress toward achieving each of these participation targets:

Construction:

• MBE’s—27%
• WBE’s—8%
• Architecture and Engineering:
• MBE’s—21%
• WBE’s—13%

General Services:

• MBE’s—17%
• WBE’s—9%

However, the goals of EBDI’s Economic Opportunity Initiative also extend beyond the inclusion of these targeted businesses. The initiative strives to think to the future by also providing professional development and capacity building opportunities for these businesses. It also seeks to build the capacity of individual residents, through workforce training and bridge employment programs that prepare participants to join and excel in the life sciences, construction, healthcare and other workforces. Future goals for the Economic Opportunity Initiative include: 

• Increasing M/W/L/RBE contracting opportunities within the scope of the East Baltimore Development project areas;
• Establishing an East Baltimore Biotech Business Incubator;
• Assisting the minority business community with capacity building and growth of their companies by providing information and access to financial, certification, bonding and business related resources;
• Increasing awareness of business opportunities associated with the East Baltimore Development project and surrounding areas through outreach activities to local minority and women business enterprises, publications, the internet and various media; and
• Constantly improving workforce development programming through continued collaboration and partnership with community and corporate based job training programs.

Monitoring & Compliance

EBDI manifests a true commitment to the ongoing success of its Economic Opportunity Initiative through a sustained emphasis on ensuring the accurate reporting, timely monitoring, and ongoing compliance of program activities. The initiative’s performance is regularly monitored by a joint venture of the Greater Baltimore Urban League and the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition. Through this partnership, EBDI is also seeking to increase the locally available capacity to promote, develop and monitor economic inclusion activities in other areas of the city.
 
Key Partners

The following key players, along with many others, are actively involved in the development, implementation and evaluation of EBDI’s Economic Opportunity Initiative.

• EBDI President and CEO
• EBDI Senior Director of Community and Human Services
• City of Baltimore
• Congressional Office of the Hon. Elijah Cummings
• DPN Group

For more information please contact Cheryl Washington at 410-234-0660 ext 270.