AI tool plays matchmaker between Mass. businesses and contracts
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Chris Hope and BECMA's Mackenson Charles unveil BECMA Compass at the Mass Black Expo. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios
The Black Economic Council of Massachusetts is testing an AI-powered tool to connect business owners with promising contracting opportunities.
- The software didn't come from Anthropic or one of the other AI giants, but from a Cambridge-based, Black-owned lab.
Why it matters: The tool, developed with the Hope Group's Loop Lab, stands to streamline an often opaque government contracting process for Black-owned businesses, especially microbusinesses.
- It's a barrier BECMA has been trying to break down for years.
Catch up quick: The Hope Group has spent the last few years developing an AI-driven engine, Project Lookout, that can automate typically arduous tasks, like grant research or contract bidding.
- The group developed BECMA Compass, under the Project Lookout umbrella, earlier this year, said Rev. Chris Hope, the group's founder.
State of play: Ten businesses affiliated with BECMA gained access last month and are testing the tool until November.
- Shonté Davidson, co-founder of Boston-based clean energy company Better Together Brain Trust, said the tool turned days of research into an hours-long application process.
- Hope unveiled the tool Tuesday at the Mass Black Expo in the Seaport.
What they're saying: "The money is public …. The problem is that 'public' doesn't necessarily mean it's accessible," Hope said, holding up a thick red envelope with what he described as a City of Boston request for proposals spanning 100 pages.
- Larger companies have dedicated business development teams, but small businesses often have one person wearing multiple hats, he added.
- "That becomes a tax on Black businesses."
How it works: Compass reviews a business's experience and certifications and compares that information to open bids across multiple websites, scoring a business's fit from 0%-100%.
- The tool compiles various details, from the project site and scope to the industry codes, and drafts response letters.
- It doesn't train its models on BECMA members' data, said Hope, who has advocated for legislation that imposes guardrails on AI-based algorithms and data-sharing.
- BECMA used state digital grants to fund the project, but the service is free for its members, says Mackenson Charles, BECMA's chief of programs.
Zoom in: Davidson has flagged some issues with the system since starting beta testing last month.
- One issue, she said, is that Compass needs to update the score when an agency adds amendments or sends additional requirements directly to a bidder.
- Still, she said, the tool lets her focus on recruiting clients in electrifying commercial buildings, installing EV charging systems and other services.
- "This tool is freeing up my time so I can work on the highest and best-value problems that we need to solve," she said.
What's next: The Hope Group plans to roll out other tools under Project Lookout next year — one for grant opportunities and another for college scholarships.
- Hope said he's also in talks with the City of Boston about a potential tool down the road.