Kansas City MBE/WBE Program: Status and What to Do

What happened

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway sued Kansas City on July 22, 2026 over the city's MWBE program (per Axios). In the week before August 20, 2026, the City Council voted 12-0 to end the 45-year-old program (per Axios; the exact vote date and ordinance number are unverified). The replacement "certifies businesses by size and location rather than the owner's race or sex, and gives additional consideration to veteran-owned businesses." The city manager must report back within 30 days on how the new program will be carried out. We could not reach the City's own pages to confirm any of this.

What it means for your bids

• The old MWBE goals (14.7% minority and 14.4% women, per Axios) no longer apply to new city contracts.
• "Contracts in progress will have their MWBE goals removed" (per Axios).
• "Existing certifications are expected to transition into the new system" (per Axios). The City has not confirmed how, on any page we could reach.
• Under the new program, "the smallest certified firms get some city contracts under $400,000 reserved just for them" (per Axios).
• Read each new solicitation. It will state which certification, if any, it uses.

What to do now

1. Check the City's Civil Rights & Equal Opportunity Department page for the new program rules: https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/civil-rights-equal-opportunity
2. Ask the department whether your current certificate moves into the new program automatically or needs a new application.
3. If you are on a contract in progress, ask the city project manager how the removed goals affect your subcontract.
4. Keep copies of your current certificate, contract participation records, and any city notices.

Watch out for

• Implementation was due about 30 days after the vote, around mid-to-late September 2026. We could not confirm that it happened.
• The Attorney General's lawsuit filed July 22, 2026 may still be active. Its status is unverified.
• The kcmo.gov site blocked our access on October 4, 2026, so the program name, start date and contact details here are not confirmed.
• Help from the City's office is free.
• Status can change again as the new program rolls out.

Programs in other states →

Put Missouri's certification programs on your website

Free for chambers, associations, APEX Accelerators, SBDCs and anyone else. Paste one line where you want it. It updates itself every day and works on phones.

<script src="https://findmybids.com/embed.js" data-kind="programs" data-state="MO" async></script>

Copy codePreview

Your site doesn't allow scripts? Use this instead

<iframe src="https://findmybids.com/embed/programs?state=MO" title="FindMyBids" loading="lazy" style="width:100%;max-width:720px;height:520px;border:0"></iframe>

Copy code

Add data-theme="dark" for a dark page. A small "from FindMyBids" line stays at the bottom.

Sources

• www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2026/08/20/kansas-city-mwbe-contracting-program-rep

FindMyBids isn't affiliated with any certifying agency, and this isn't legal advice. Status can change quickly with court orders and new laws, so confirm with the program office before you rely on it.