Issued By:
Vincent B. Orange, Jr.
Chairman, Orange for Mayor Campaign
202-409-2147
vboj02@gmail.com

Highlights $11 Billion Invested in DC Businesses Over Past Decade

WASHINGTON, DC — February 10, 2026 — Vincent Orange, Jr., on behalf of mayoral candidate and former DC Councilmember Vincent B. Orange, Sr., today highlighted the historic growth of Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) spending in the District and announced that, if elected Mayor, Orange will set a new goal of $2 billion in CBE spending for FY 2027.

At the recent unveiling of the District’s FY 2026 Greenbook at Capital One Arena, Mayor Muriel Bowser publicly recognized Vincent Orange, Sr. for his foundational role in transforming the District’s CBE program into one of the nation’s strongest models for inclusive procurement.

Mayor Bowser announced that the District will reach a $1.5 billion CBE spending goal in FY 2026, capping a decade in which more than $11 billion has been invested in DC-based Certified Business Enterprises. The Mayor initiated a round of applause acknowledging Orange’s early leadership and later presented him with a signed copy of the FY 2026 Greenbook.

The Law That Sparked Reform

Under the Local, Small and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (LSDBE) Act of 1998, District agencies are required to spend at least 50% of their expendable procurement dollars with Certified Business Enterprises.

When Vincent Orange, Sr. was first elected Ward 5 Councilmember, he found that only 1 of 43 District agencies — the Office on Aging — was in compliance with the law.

As Chairman of the Committee on Government Operations, Orange convened oversight hearings requiring agency heads to explain their failure to meet the statutory 50% mandate.

Those hearings produced measurable reform:
• From 1 of 43 agencies in compliance
• To 54 of 56 agencies in compliance by 2005
• Resulting in $481 million spent with CBEs in that year alone

These enforcement actions laid the groundwork for the first Greenbook, launched in FY 2016 to provide transparency and accountability in CBE spending.

A Decade of Growth

In 2015, CBE spending totaled approximately $300 million annually.

By FY 2026, that number has grown to $1.5 billion, with more than $11 billion invested in local CBEs over the past decade.

“The Greenbook began as an accountability tool to ensure the law was followed,” said Vincent Orange, Sr. “It has since become a powerful engine for local economic growth.”

The Next Benchmark: $2 Billion

With Mayor Bowser not seeking re-election, Orange announced that his administration will pursue:

$2 Billion in CBE spending in FY 2027

“Supporting CBEs is not symbolic — it is sound economic policy,” Orange said. “When local businesses thrive, DC residents benefit through jobs, opportunity, and neighborhood stability.”