The Commonwealth of Virginia (the Commonwealth) commissioned BBC Research & Consulting (BBC) to conduct a disparity study to assess whether small businesses, microbusinesses, and minority-, woman-, and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses face any barriers as part of the Commonwealth’s contracting processes. Information from the study will help the Commonwealth evaluate and refine its efforts to encourage the participation of small and diverse businesses in its contracts and procurements and help inform any refinements the Commonwealth might make to its implementation of the Small, Women-owned, and Minority-owned Business (SWaM) Program.

Study Analyses

The disparity study will focus on construction, professional services, and non-professional services and supplies prime contracts and subcontracts the Commonwealth awarded between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2024 (the study period). The core purpose of the disparity study will be to examine whether there are any disparities between:

• The percentage of contract dollars that the Commonwealth spent with minority-, woman-, and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, as well as small and microbusinesses, during the study period (utilization); and
• The percentage of contract dollars that minority-, woman-, and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, as well as small and microbusinesses, might be expected to receive based on their availability to perform specific types and sizes of Commonwealth contracts (availability).

The study will also examine other information related to:

• Legal considerations surrounding the Commonwealth’s implementation of the SWaM program;
• Marketplace conditions for minority-, woman-, and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses;
• Contracting practices and business assistance programs that the Commonwealth currently has in place; and

Potential program measures for the Commonwealth to consider implementing to further encourage minority-, woman-, and service-disabled veteran-owned business participation, as well as small and microbusiness participation.

Study Schedule

BBC initiated the disparity study in April 2025 and will complete the study at the end of December 2025. For the study schedule, click here.

Key Contacts

If you have any questions or comments regarding the disparity study, please contact:

Verniece Love
Deputy Director, Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity
Commonwealth of Virginia
(t) 804-786-3100
(e) Verniece.Love@sbsd.virginia.gov

Alternatively, you can contact a member of the project team directly:

Stephanie Ayers
Head of Projects & Deliverables
BBC Research & Consulting
(t) 303-321-2547 ext. 249
(e) sayers@bbcresearch.com

Or at:

VAdisparity@bbcresearch.com

Study Progress

The Commonwealth will provide regular updates about BBC’s progress on the disparity study throughout its course. Please check back periodically for those updates.

Project initiation. The Commonwealth and BBC initiated the 2025 Commonwealth of Virginia Disparity Study in April 2025 with a series of meetings with various Commonwealth departments and representatives. BBC met with Commonwealth agencies to introduce the study, answer questions, and begin the process of understanding contracting and vendor data that the Commonwealth maintains.

Data collection. BBC began working with the Commonwealth in April 2025 to collect data on contracts that the Commonwealth awarded during the study period (July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2024) as well as information about the vendors that participated in those contracts.

Next steps. BBC will engage in the following disparity study tasks:

• Public meetings. The project team conducted four public meetings in June 2025. During the public meetings, BBC presented information about the disparity study, answered questions, and solicited participants for any verbal or written testimony regarding their experiences working in the local marketplace. To view the presentation, click here.

• Data collection. The project team will continue to work with the Commonwealth to collect data on contracts that it awarded during the study period and the vendors that participated in those contracts.
• Data analysis. The project team will begin analyzing data that it collects from the Commonwealth. BBC will begin assessing the subindustries that account for the majority of Commonwealth contracting, the geographical area that is most relevant to Commonwealth contracting, and the percentage of total contract dollars minority-, woman-, and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, as well as small and microbusinesses, received on Commonwealth’s prime contracts and subcontracts during the study period.
• Availability surveys. The project team will conduct availability surveys with businesses in the relevant geographic market area that perform work that is relevant to Commonwealth contracting. If we contact your business, please participate in the survey process to help ensure an accurate and comprehensive survey process!
• In-depth interviews. The project team will conduct in-depth interviews with business owners throughout the Commonwealth. The interviews will provide BBC with detailed information about marketplace conditions related to starting a business, trying to grow a business, working with local public agencies, and a variety of other topics. If we contact your business, please participate in the interview process to help ensure an accurate and comprehensive study!