Effective April 1, 2009, the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) will be administering the DBE Support Services program. Previously, these services were provided by the Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises under contract with WSDOT. OEO anticipates a smooth transition of this program and looks forward to working with DBE firms in an effort to enhance their business capabilities and increase their contracting opportunities on WSDOT’s highway related construction projects.
OEO has contracted with the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle’s Contractor Development and Competitiveness Center (CDCC) and Seattle Public Schools to provide support services, copies of project plans, technical assistance, business development courses, and training on how to successfully bid WSDOT’s projects. These services will continue to be provided free of charge to certified highway related DBEs.
The CDCC’s “Pathways Program” is tailored to evaluate small businesses and provide valuable feedback to the business owners which identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the business and offers recommendations and referrals to various subject matter experts or resource agencies that will work with the business to enhance their overall business capabilities. The CDCC will be offering a 2-day Pathways Program workshop in June 2009 for certified DBE firms in highway related industries, including construction, consulting and supplies.
Seattle Public Schools offers business development courses that are available “free of charge” to highway related DBEs. Following are some of the courses offered:
• Public Contracting – Success in Business
• Benefits & Limitations of Certification
• Excel/Professional Invoicing
• IT Basic and MS Word
• MS Project I, II, III, and IV
• Blue Print I and II
• Estimating I and II
• Quick Books I, II, III, IV, V, and VI
If you are a certified DBE firm that performs highway related work and you are interested in receiving more information about the DBE Support Services program, please contact us toll free at (888) 259-9143. We can also be reached by email at dbess@wsdot.wa.gov or by writing to:
Washington State Department of Transportation
Office of Equal Opportunity
310 Maple Park Avenue SE
P.O. Box 47314
Olympia, WA 98504-7314