CREO Monthly Webinar: 2026 Kansas City Disparity Study Results

The City of Kansas City held a CREO Monthly Webinar on June 29, 2026, to present and discuss the results of the 2026 Disparity Study related to the city's procurement activities. The study, conducted by Griffin & Strong, analyzed disparities in contracting opportunities for minority- and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs) and small local businesses. Key recommendations included unbundling contracts to increase participation, streamlining certification processes, forecasting bid opportunities to enhance competition, reviewing repeat awards for fairness, and updating contract thresholds for consistency. The city is considering three paths forward: maintaining the current program with limited goals, narrowing the program to reduce legal risk, or expanding it to a race- and gender-neutral small local business enterprise program. Public comments are being solicited to inform ordinance modernization and program restructuring, with council action required for any changes. The city emphasized transparency, legal defensibility, and preserving contract goals to support underrepresented businesses in future procurement.