One of my most important priorities has always been to foster the growth of small business. An important step in doing so has been to use the Citys own purchasing power to create local economic benefit.I authored the Local Preference Ordinance to help local businesses compete more effectively against out of state vendors when seeking to do business with the City. And, in my Comprehensive Jobs Plan for Los Angeles, I initiated an overhaul of the Citys antiquated and cumbersome process for purchasing goods and services, which too often freezes out small businesses from even participating in the procurement process.
As a result of these efforts, a new and dramatically new procurement system for the City is now complete and open for business. RAMP, the Regional Alliance Marketplace for Procurement, is expected to leverage over $30 billion of economic activity in the region over the next decade, increasing opportunities for all businesses, and removing barriers to participation for women and minority owned businesses.
RAMP will create countless local jobs, increase local incomes, and create new local tax revenues to provide more local services. RAMP offers a path forward and upward for all of us.