The Equity in Infrastructure Project (EIP) exists to build generational wealth and reduce the racial wealth gap by improving public infrastructure contracting practices to create more prime, joint venture and equity contracting opportunities for Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs). In doing so, agencies create more competition for public contracts, resulting in taxpayer savings and maximum value for infrastructure investments.
It secures measurable commitments through its Pledge:
Starting from the baseline of our current actions and initiatives, by December 2025, the undersigned will work to increase the number, size and percentage of HUBs growing to prime contractors, participating in joint ventures or as equity participants by:
- Increasing the number, size and proportion of contracting opportunities going to HUBs;
- Increasing the number, size and proportion of contracting opportunities going to HUBs as prime contractors;
- Streamlining the administration of contracting with HUBs to centralize certification, improve payment time, and standardize transparent data collection;
- Increasing the amount and type of financing available to HUBs aiming to meet infrastructure contracts by working with private and public partners; and
- Expanding the number of signatories to this Pledge.
*Historically underutilized businesses (HUBS), by our definition, can include firms formally designated as DBES, Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE), Small Business Enterprises (SBE), and it can include any other business classification used locally in the United States intended to boost the participation of otherwise underutilized firms, which can vary by state, region, and municipality.
**The EIP Pledge does not take the place of existing federal, state or local contracting program requirements. The EIP Pledge is an organizational commitment to go above and beyond existing practices.
If you are interested in taking the pledge, please fill out the form below. We will get in touch to explain what's involved and how it works. Thank you for your interest!