Little Rock, Arkansas Study

BBC conducted a contracting disparity study for the City of Little Rock, Arkansas to evaluate whether small businesses and person of color (POC)-, woman-, and veteran-owned businesses (collectively referred to as small and diverse businesses) have equitable opportunities to participate in the City’s contracts and procurements. The study assessed disparities between the dollars the City awarded to small and diverse businesses and the dollars one might expect the City to award to those businesses based on their characteristics and the characteristics of the City’s contracts.

Based on study results, BBC recommended that the City:

• Establish a minimum percentage of work on certain contracts and procurements that must be subcontracted out;
• Develop a Small Local Business Enterprise Program to encourage the participation of small and diverse businesses in its work;
• Take efforts to diversify the pool of businesses to which it awards contracts; and
• Provide additional technical assistance to the businesses that need it the most.

We are currently providing support to the City to help it implement many of our recommendations.

Click here for the 2025 City of Little Rock Disparity Study Report.