As billions of dollars in construction projects take shape across the St. Louis region, a local nonprofit is trying to ensure that minority- and women-owned businesses are better prepared to compete for a share of the work.
Mission Realty Advisors has introduced “Build With Purpose,” a free guide designed to help minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs), including contractors, subcontractors and suppliers, navigate the construction industry, from understanding development projects to preparing for bidding opportunities.
The 80-page toolkit also encourages general contractors and developers to do more to bring smaller businesses into projects, including reaching out to them earlier, offering mentorship and ensuring timely payments.
The initiative comes as longstanding disparities in construction contracting persist, despite decades of efforts to expand participation by minority-owned businesses.
St. Louis County’s 2024 minority- and women-owned business report found that minority-owned firms received 14% of spending on completed projects, below the county’s 24% annual participation goal. Women-owned businesses received 32%, exceeding their 9.5% goal.
The county also reported that $21.2 million, or 45.3%, of the value of 13 construction contracts awarded in 2024 was committed to minority- and women-owned businesses combined. Those commitments do not necessarily represent money already paid.
In the city of St. Louis, contracting policies have undergone changes. Goals established in 1997 called for 25% minority-owned business participation and 5% women-owned business participation in city-funded contracts.
After temporarily pausing parts of its minority contracting program in August 2025, the city resumed certification under an executive order signed by Mayor Cara Spencer the following month. The revised approach calls for participation goals tailored to individual projects, informed by the city’s 2024 disparity study.
“While there is an abundance of information available about certification, financing, workforce development, and contracting, there was not a single St. Louis-based resource that brought these pieces together,” said Chantal Ogbeifun, a Washington University student who authored the toolkit.
The guide walks smaller businesses through the construction process, covering certification, financing, bonding, insurance and bidding. It also encourages general contractors to look beyond their usual subcontractors, involve smaller firms earlier in projects and adopt payment practices that don’t put unnecessary financial strain on those businesses.
Pete Kinsella, executive director of Mission Realty Advisors, said the region faces substantial construction demand over the next five to 10 years, driven by projects including the expansion of St. Louis Lambert International Airport, data centers, health care facilities and housing developments.
Kinsella estimates that more than $100 billion could be invested in regional construction during that period, although the organization has not provided a complete project-by-project accounting supporting that total.
“Meeting future demand will require expanding contractor capacity, in part, by increasing investment in small MWBE businesses,” Kinsella said.
The toolkit points to the Refuge & Restoration Marketplace redevelopment in Dellwood, where it says minority- and women-owned businesses accounted for 80% of contractor participation and those workers made up 70% of the labor force. The project had set a goal of 100% participation.
Mission Realty Advisors was established in 2023 by Summit Real Estate Group to help nonprofits address commercial real estate challenges. Its work includes involvement in the Dellwood redevelopment and the Brickline Greenway initiative.
“Build With Purpose” is available for free at MissionRealtyAdvisors.org/Resources.