Template revised September 22, 2016. COMMISSION AGENDA MEMORANDUM Item No. BRIEFING ITEM March 28, 2017 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PROCUREMENT PROGRAMS AND POLICIES ��COMMISSION AGENDA Briefing Item No. 7b Page of Template revised September 22, 2016. Port staff wants to do more to support WMBE utilization and has set a 2017 goal to double b oth the number of WMBE businesses being utilized and the overall spend on these disadvantaged business enterprises. To achieve this goal the Port will likely need to emulate some of the City ’s programs and policies. Port Incubator/Accelerator Initiativ Business incubators and accelerators can support small business within construction, maritime, manufacturing and other key Port clusters. The Port’s small business department completed an assessment of local incubators last March that found: There are approximately 60 accelerator, incubators and co working spaces in King County; Successful incubators provide more than space Incubator success depends on both design/development at the outset and successful operations management on an ongoing basis ; and Among food focused entrepreneurs, space ranked ahead of funding as a top concern The study recommended that the Port c hampion small business assistance and coordinate assistance opportunities . It also suggested that the Port could use its real estate a nd capital assets to p rovide space or land for the following types of incubators arine Industry Incubator Utilize Port owned land at Fisherman’s Terminal or uplands at Terminal 91 to support an incubator focused on the marine industry. Easy access to storage sheds, material handling equipment and net repair areas makes the Fisherman’s Terminal location unique and attractive for maritime companies. Construction Incubator Utilize some of the Port’s available building space to develop a one stop support center for small businesses in construction, architecture, engineering or similar fields. This would build on the Port’s technical assistance and outreach efforts for busines ses interested in contracting opportunities with the Port. Commercial Food Processing Incubator Provide a shared use, licensed, commercial kitchen that allows entrepreneurs to develop products and enterprises without the high overhead cost of purchasing cilities, equipment, and necessary licensing. Manufacturing Incubator Establish an incubator with suitable space, mentoring support, and shared tools/resources for small startup manufacturing companies. The Port’s small business team is moving forward to develop maritime, construction and food processing incubators. Developing manufacturing incubators may also take shape after ��COMMISSION AGENDA Briefing Item No. 7b Page of Template revised September 22, 2016. advancing these other initiatives. More detail on each incubator initiative can be found in the Small Business Development Plan t hat follows this memo. Small businesses play a vital role in King County and across the United States. These enterprises are our country’s top job creators, exporters and innovators. The Port can play a meaningful role to support small business by: plement ing applicable best practices from the City of Seattle’s Small Business Program Consider updat es to the Port’s small business resolution (3618) ; and Carefully mov ing Port supported incubator projects forward ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING (1) Presentation slides (2) Small Business Development Plan (3) 2016 Port incubator study PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS March 22, 2016 Small Business Utilization briefing December 14, 2014 Disparity Study briefing August 19, 2014 Small Business Utilization briefing January 26, 2010 Adoption of Resolution No. 3618 concerning small business utilization