a. There are established the goals that contracting agencies award at least 15% of their contracts for small businesses, at least 7% of their contracts for minority businesses and at least 3% of their contracts for female businesses. These goals may, where appropriate, be attained by the direct designation of prime contracts for small business, minority business or female business or, in the case of a prime contract not directly designated for small business, minority business or female business, by requiring that a portion of such a prime contract be subcontracted to a small business, minority business or female business. Each contracting agency shall make a good faith effort to attain the goals established in this section.

b. The goals established in subsection a. of this section shall be attained independently of each other, and any given contract may be counted for purposes of attaining the small business goal, the minority business goal, or the female business goal, but not towards more than one goaL. Pursuant to the goals established by this act, a total of at least 25% of the State‘s procurement contracts shall be awarded to small businesses, minority businesses, and female businesses.

c. For purposes of attaining these goals, contracting agencies shall, when necessary, specifically set aside contracts or portions of contracts for which only small businesses, minority businesses or female businesses may bid.

L. 1983, c. 482, s. 5. Amended by L. 1985, c. 384, s. 6.