Winston-Salem Overhauled City Contracting Policies
Contractors must adapt to new local regulations following the repeal of minority- and women-owned business provisions.
Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Human Resources
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Do you support prioritizing general small-business programs over minority- and women-owned business participation goals in city contracting?
Winston-Salem has removed minority- and women-owned business scoring from city project evaluations to comply with state law. The city is now restructuring its advisory committee to focus on small business enterprises.
Why it matters
These changes follow the passage of Senate Bill 257, which repealed state laws that authorized participation requirements for minority- and women-owned firms. Operators must now navigate updated local ordinances that align with these revised state standards.
The new Small Business Enterprise Advisory Committee retains seven members with two-year terms. Eligibility for state certification now requires meeting a 100-employee limit and a $1.5 million annual net income threshold.
The players
Winston-Salem
A municipal government in North Carolina that manages local contracting and public project procurement.
General Government Committee
A city legislative body responsible for reviewing and recommending ordinance changes to the mayor and council.
The details
The city has amended existing contracts that remain unexecuted to remove minority- and women-owned business provisions. The renamed Small Business Enterprise Advisory Committee will continue to review contractor good-faith efforts and provide policy recommendations to the mayor and council. Disqualification grounds remain in place for any contractors who violate nondiscrimination laws.
Timeline
July 1, 2026: Minority- and women-owned business scoring and provisions stopped.
July 7, 2026: Governor signed state budget Senate Bill 257.
October 12, 2026: General Government Committee considers ordinance changes.
October 15, 2026: State certification window opens.
November 30, 2026: State certification window closes.
Market Landscape
The city's policy pivot aligns local procurement rules with the broader state-level repeal of minority- and women-owned business participation mandates. This follows the enactment of Senate Bill 257, which necessitated a restructuring of local administrative and oversight programs.
Business owners should audit their current city contracts to ensure compliance with the new procurement framework. Management should also prepare for upcoming announcements regarding application procedures for the city's revised local small-business program.
The takeaway
Operators must recalibrate their compliance and bidding strategy as municipal procurement shifts away from prior demographic-based scoring models. Monitor upcoming city communications for new eligibility requirements before the October 15, 2026, state certification window opens.
What happens next
The General Government Committee is set to evaluate the ordinance changes on October 12, 2026, while the state certification window is slated to open on October 15, 2026.
Further reading
For more information on how local policy changes affect your operations, visit Human Resources.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WS Chronicle.
Live Poll
Do you support prioritizing general small-business programs over minority- and women-owned business participation goals in city contracting?
