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The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) board has approved a pool of 26 bond underwriters that includes an unprecedented six minority- or women-owned firms.

Since 2006, three firms – none of which are minority- or women-owned business enterprises (MWBE) – have been involved in senior management of MTA bond issuance.

The new pool will expand MTA’s expertise as it accesses the global financial market, said MTA Chairman Jay Walder in a prepared statement.

“Even better, as a result of our unprecedented levels of outreach, we have engaged the minority- and women-owned businesses in the senior manager capacity for the first time,” he said.

Two tiers of firms are involved in underwriting MTA bonds: senior managers, which structure, market, sell and distribute the bonds; and co-managers, which assist the senior managers. Two firms in the senior manager pool are minority- and/or women-owned, as are four in the co-manager pool.

The MTA also selected MWBE variable rate remarketing agents and dealers and four MWBE swap counterparties. Combined, this participation now means that more than 20 percent of financial services firms doing business with MTA are certified MWBE.