Highmark Stadium, New Home to the Buffalo Bills, Exceeds MWBE Participation Goals with Over $490 Million in Awarded Contracts

Reflects Commitment to MWBE Participation and Local Hiring, with More Than $250 Million Awarded to Western New York Regional MWBEs

May 19, 2026 – Gilbane-Turner and Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the new Buffalo Bills Highmark Stadium surpassed its target goal of 30 percent Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) participation at the end of April, with more than $490 million paid to MWBEs to date in what is the largest MWBE participation on any public-private partnership in the history of Western New York. More than $250 million has been awarded in contracts to Western New York regional MWBEs.

To date, nearly 140 separate MWBE firms have been awarded 304 contracts for the stadium’s development. Of those, 83 are based in the Western New York region and have received 216 contracts, exceeding target goals:

MBE Goal: $231 million (15%), MBE To Date: $256 million (17%), MBE Contracts: 130

WBE Goal: $231 million (15%), WBE To Date: $239 million (16%), WBE Contracts: 174

John LaRow, Principal-in-Charge, Gilbane-Turner and Senior Vice President, Gilbane Building, said: “We’re proud that the impact of this stadium extends far beyond the field, creating opportunities for local and diverse businesses and supporting careers across Western New York. Surpassing this MWBE participation goal reflects the focused outreach and partnership that helped make this project a source of long-term community impact. We’re grateful for the support of the Hochul administration and the State of New York in advancing these efforts and helping expand opportunities for MWBE firms across the region.”

These milestones reflect the joint effort of New York State, Gilbane-Turner, the Buffalo Bills, and other partners to maximize MWBE participation by hosting a wide range of capacity-building and technical training programs to help firms navigate a complex procurement process for the project. Sessions included contractor coaching programs; mentoring programs to recruit, train, and mentor MWBE firms to bid on large public construction projects; project readiness bootcamps; and seminars, webinars, and forums to help firms achieve MWBE certification.

Highmark Stadium, which will open for the 2026 Buffalo Bills season this fall, is currently 96 percent complete and entering its final construction phase for tech system testing and final signage installation. At peak construction, 1,600 workers were on site daily, contributing over 4.5 million craft hours to create a world-class venue that will serve as an economic engine for Western New York for decades to come.

For more information on the project and upcoming opportunities, visit the New Highmark Stadium official site.