L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is creating a city contracting office to ensure that all businesses have equal access to city contracts.

Villaraigosa on Friday signed an order Friday establishing the Office of Contractor Relations, which will operate as a one-stop shop where businesses can go to find out about city contracts available for bidding.

The office is also tasked with making sure that small businesses, locally based-businesses, veteran, minority and women-owned businesses all have equal opportunity to bid on city contracts.

“Small, minority- and women-owned businesses are the backbone of the Los Angeles economy,” Villaraigosa said at the signing ceremony in Echo Park. “Too often though, our contracting awards and dollars do not reflect our City’s diversity. By creating the Office of Contractor Relations, I am ensuring that equal contracting practices remain a priority to this City for years to come.”