Join the BDAG and make your voice heard!

The Department of Enterprise Services (DES) oversees state purchasing policy for goods and services and has a major role in creating an equitable procurement process in the way the state buys goods and services. The Procurement Inclusion and Equity (PIE) program at DES is in the process of recruiting business members to join the Business Diversity Advisory Group (BDAG) — and we want you!

BDAG members:

• Advise DES on statewide procurement practices.
• Help us connect and communicate with small and diverse business communities.
• Provide feedback from the business community on proposed changes to state procurement policies and practices.
• Help us develop, promote, and support small and diverse business inclusion strategies.
• Represent and share concerns from the business communities they're in. 

To be a BDAG member, you must:

• Be a Washington state small business registered in Washington's Electronic Business Solution (WEBS) application, a non-profit for the blind based in Washington, or a non-profit organization that supports these entities. 
• Be currently doing business or trying to do business with state government through statewide contracts. 
• Have no record of decertification for any reason other than non-renewal/non-response or graduation.
• Have no record of debarment or suspension, no labor violations, and no ethics violations.
• Be able to attend and actively participate in meetings and activities.
• Be willing to work collaboratively with other members to achieve mutual goals and objectives of the group.

Submit your BDAG application today

Think you'd make a good fit for the BDAG? The application is open until April 10, 2023, and members can choose to serve either a one-year or three-year term. 

• Submit your BDAG application online.

How the BDAG increases spending with small and diverse businesses

The Business Diversity Advisory Group provides valuable input and recommendations to help us make solicitations more equitable. Their recommendations have led to changes in our solicitation processes and removed barriers for small, diverse, and veteran-owned businesses to win state contracts. Additionally, BDAG’s recommendations helped us create the enterprise Supplier Diversity Policy.

Attend an upcoming BDAG meeting

The BDAG meets the third Tuesday of every month, 10 a.m. - noon.