Women-, minority-owned businesses lose extra preference points on San Antonio city contracts [Video]

SAN ANTONIO – Small businesses owned by women or people of color will get less of an advantage when they bid on some City of San Antonio contracts starting next year.

Supporters of the change said it’s time to give all small businesses the same leg up over larger companies. However, opponents worry it could reverse the city’s progress in opening doors for minority and woman business owners.

The San Antonio City Council voted 7-4 Thursday on several long-expected amendments to the Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) program. The changes will take effect Aug. 1, 2025.

The most controversial amendment was the program’s use of “preference points.”

Roughly three-quarters of the city contracts are low-bid jobs based solely on the bidder’s price to complete a contract. Most of the city’s construction jobs fall into that category.

The other quarter of jobs are what the city calls “discretionary” contracts, which also take into …