Welcome to the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority Compliance section of this website. This area will include updates on both Minority and Woman Owned Business information as well as information regarding the utilization on Indiana and Northwest Indiana businesses. In July of 2009, Organizational Development Solutions Inc. was contracted as the compliance auditors to monitor and provide guidance in the use of minority and women owned businesses as well as the utilization of Indiana and Northwest Indiana businesses with respect to projects which are being funded through the use of RDA dollars.
According to the RDA enabling statute the RDA must assure that all project funds expended must comply with the following (excerpts from RDA enabling statute):
(b) In addition to the provisions of subsection (a), with respect to projects undertaken by the authority, the authority shall set a goal for participation by minority business enterprises of fifteen percent (15%) and women's business enterprises of five percent (5%), consistent with the goals of delivering the project on time and within the budgeted amount and, insofar as possible, using Indiana businesses for employees, goods, and services. In fulfilling the goal, the authority shall take into account historical precedents in the same market.
(b) Subject to subsection (c), the development authority shall set a goal to achieve employment and retention of employees from certain northwest Indiana cities for work on development authority projects. The goal must be to attain, by not later than January 1, 2020, a workforce for each project that consists of at least twenty percent (20%) of employees who are individuals who reside in cities that:
(1) are within the boundaries of the development authority; and
(2) have an unemployment rate that exceeds the state unemployment rate by more than twenty percent (20%).
The RDA has further defined the statue with policy and procedures that will assist grantees with the application process as well as the compliance process once funds are granted (see Policy and Procedures section). On behalf of the State of Indiana, Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, ODS will actively monitor and support the MBE/WBE program in order to assure an equal opportunity is provided to minority and women's business enterprises that seek to participate in the RDA?s procurement and contracting processes. To carry out these goals, ODS, our compliance auditors will review expenditures on a regular basis with all current grantees and monitor participation of MBE/WBE certified and non-certified firms and the utilization of Indiana and Northwest Indiana businesses to assist in the achievement of this goal.
Need some assistance in locating a local minority-owned business to work on your grant? Click here to view our local M/WBE business database
Noted below are several links which grantees and MWBE entities may find useful.
RDA Policies and Procedures
- MBE/WBE Program Requirements
- Hire Indiana
- Buy Indiana
- Buy Northwest Indiana
- Self Certification
- Request for Exemptions
RDA Forms/Reports
- Monthly Utilization Expenditure Report
- Compliance Plan
- Contractor's Report (Buy Indiana)
- Sample Quarterly Grantee Status Report
- Self Certification Form
- Exemption Form Request
Useful Links