Western Mass Economic Development Council Announces Anchor Collaborative Commitments for the Region

In its first year, the Western Mass Anchor Collaborative (WMAC), founded by the EDC and in partnership with Baystate Health, has established multi-year targets to increase local procurement opportunities for women and minority owned businesses (MWBE) and to propel hiring and career pathways for BIPOC and marginalized populations.

The WMAC was initiated to provide comprehensive, systemic, and locally led solutions to regional business and workforce challenges. By being more intentional about how we do business in the region, Anchor Collaborative institutions seek to address inequities that have resulted from historic patterns of disinvestment and bias related to neighborhood, race, ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic status in Western Massachusetts. The WMAC includes some of the region’s largest businesses and employers: Bay Path University , Baystate Health , Big Y World Class Market , Holyoke Community College , Springfield College , City of Holyoke , City of Springfield, Massachusetts , and University of Massachusetts Amherst . These institutions have over 18,000 employees, with nearly 3,000 residing in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in Western Mass.

These institutions serve as key place-based economic engines that leverage their own institutional sourcing, hiring, and locally focused investing here in the region and create formal community impact commitments around five Strategic Focus Areas: 1.) Local and Diverse Sourcing, 2.) Local Hiring: Outside in, Inside up, 3.) First Community: Low Wage Incumbent Workers, 4.) Place-based Investment, 5.) Policies for Healthy Equitable Communities.

Collectively, the Anchor Collaborative institutions currently spend over $2B in goods and services and have committed to increasing annually the percentage of spending toward local and diverse businesses. Bridging the gap between Anchor institutions and the local community is a key ingredient to successful and positive economic impact. In collaboration with local entrepreneurial leaders such as Valley Venture Mentors and @EforAll Holyoke, the EDC is developing the “Anchor-Ready Accelerator” that will cultivate a resilient local supplier pipeline for targeted goods and services. The accelerator will provide wrap-around services and resources to prepare and scale vendors for contracts with Anchor institutions. Sessions will include but are not limited to: Technical Assistance for Certification Completion (MBE, WBE, VBE LGBTE, etc.); Securing Diverse Sources of Capital and Investments; Financial Planning and Production Forecasting; Understanding and Mastering RFPs, Bids, Contract Quotes, and Procurement Demands; etc.

The Anchor Collaborative coordinates workforce development strategies with Springfield WORKS/Working Cities Challenge , an EDC community initiative, to create training opportunities for career pathways to living wage jobs. The Anchors also commit to piloting career pathway programs and align supports for entry-level, lower wage employees from disadvantaged neighborhoods. The goal is to design an internal process that allows for accessible professional development and growth, leading to promotions and careers within each institution.

The Anchor Collaborative mission is to foster equitable communities, strong local economies, jobs and healthier employees and residents by intentionally leveraging each institution’s purchasing and hiring power. Data will be regularly collected and analyzed to set effective targets and monitor progress. By leveraging our economic engines, we can enhance our impact and drive regional economic equity and financial vitality for our communities.

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