.07 Race Neutral Measures.

Race neutral measures may include:

A. Any outreach efforts to advise small and minority businesses of contracting opportunities within the State in accordance with §§B—D of this regulation;

B. Procurement agencies periodically conducting meetings with minority business enterprises and other small businesses, as appropriate, to advise of procurement opportunities within that procurement agency, which shall be coordinated with the Governor's Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs and other State agencies that make similar procurements;

C. The Governor's Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs periodically convening seminars that include MBEs and small businesses, and appropriate personnel of the various procurement agencies, which shall include topics of interest to prospective or current MBEs and small businesses such as State procurement procedures, certification, and anticipated State procurements, and may include technical assistance to MBEs and small businesses relating to the procurement process from the Office of Minority Affairs;

D. The Governor's Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs providing notice of all seminars and meetings undertaken under the regulation to each MBE listed in the Central Directory or identified under COMAR 21.05.07.06 and each small business listed in the Department of General Services small business vendor lists that may be reasonably expected to be interested in the effort, as well as to those entities described in Regulation .09D of this chapter;

E. Small business procurements, including price preferences, the Small Business Reserve under COMAR 21.11.01, and veteran-owned small business enterprises under COMAR 21.11.13;

F. Use of evaluation factors that do not unreasonably hinder participation by small businesses, including potential use of the economic benefits evaluation factor under COMAR 21.05.03.03(A)(3);

G. Technical Assistance and Business Development programs; and

H. Removal or relaxation of unreasonably restrictive or prohibitive solicitation or contract requirements or both.