Ohio’s Encouraging Diversity, Growth and Equity Program and Recent Revisions
By Rob Port, Hahn Loeser
In order to encourage and support the growth of minority and socially and economically disadvantaged businesses, the State of Ohio implemented several business assistance programs to foster the development of these businesses and increase the number of qualified competitors in the marketplace. Generally, these programs require Ohio state agencies to award a certain percentage of their contracts to businesses owned and controlled by different specified groups.
In October 2020, the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) updated the rules for the EDGE program, including revising the certification criteria. While there are many nuances to the certification requirements for the EDGE Program, this article provides a basic overview of the criteria and focuses on the most significant changes that DAS instituted effective October 2020.