• Summit to help participants understand and navigate the contracting and procurement process in Detroit 
• Council Members, Angela Calloway, Latisha Johnson, Mary Waters along with City of Detroit Deputy Chief Procurement Officer, Toni Stewart-Limmitt are hosting the event along with the City’s CRIO Department 
• This year’s summit features Goldman Sachs, First Merchant Bank, DEGC’s Buy Detroit and the national Small Business Association  
• Free event is Friday, July 31 at WCCCD, Northwest Campus  

It’s an opportunity for small business growth. The City of Detroit will host its Micro and Small Business Summit to share vital information on the contracting and procurement process while exploring new pathways for small business growth.  The Summit is part of the Office of Contracting and Procurement’s ongoing effort in partnership with City Council members to connect small, micro, and Detroit-based businesses with City government contract opportunities.  

The Summit is 12 - 3 p.m. on Friday, July 31 at Wayne County Community College District, Northwest Campus, Larry K. Lewis Building, 8200 Outer Drive in Detroit.

"Attracting and retaining our small businesses is just as important to this administration as attracting the brick and mortar, businesses" Mayor Mary Sheffield said. "We want to uplift our small business community because they are the backbones of our neighborhoods."

"Part of our mission at the Office of Contracting and Procurement is to ensure that doing business with the City is accessible to everyone," said Sandra Yu Stahl, Chief Procurement Officer for the City of Detroit. "Detroit’s homegrown small and micro-businesses are the backbone of our local economy. By partnering with City Council members and our ecosystem leaders for this Summit, we are actively bringing resources, training, and contract opportunities directly into the neighborhood."

The free event is hosted by City Council Members Mary Waters (At-Large), Angela Calloway (District 2), and Latisha Johnson (District 4) along with City of Detroit Deputy Chief Procurement Officer, Toni Stewart-Limmitt, and the city’s Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity (CRIO) Department.

Attendees can interact with major funders, banks and partner organizations including Goldman Sachs, First Merchant Bank, the Detroit Development Fund, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), and the Small Business Association (SBA).  Plus, participants will have the unique opportunity to network directly with procurement officers, and compliance specialists. Representatives from CRIO will be on-site to provide actionable resources and explain the benefits of local business certification.  

Business owners, independent contractors, and aspiring entrepreneurs are highly encouraged to attend and discover how to position their companies for upcoming city contracts.  

Register at bit.ly/msbizsummit26.

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