MIAMIDADE TRANSIT

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MIAMI-DADE TRANSIT

• DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM

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Background

• The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)
  Program was first introduced in 1980 under the
  authority of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of
  1964.
• In 1983, Congress enacted and President Reagan
  signed the first statutory DBE Provision.
• In 1991, the Program was expanded to include
  Federal Highway and Federal Transit. Currently,
  Federal Railroad Administration is the only OA
  under USDOT without its own DBE provision.

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Background contd

• In 1998, TEA-21 was enacted and further
  reauthorized and expanded the DBE program for a
  period of six(6) years (1998-2003).
• TEA-21 required that not less than 10 of the
  amounts made available to recipient agencies be
  expended with small business concerns, owned and
  controlled by socially and economically
  disadvantaged individuals.

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Background contd

• Pending permanent reauthorization, the DBE
  program has been temporarily renewed several
  times.
• In 2005, under the Safe, Accountable,Flexible,
  Efficient Transportation Equity Act,
  (SAFETEA-LU), the program was extended to the
  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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AUTHORITY

• Department of Transportation, Office of the
  Secretary 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
  Part 26
• Required by Congress as a Condition of Receiving
  Federal Funds

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PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

• To ensure non-discrimination in the award and
  administration of DOT-assisted contracts
• To create a level playing field on which DBEs can
  compete fairly for DOT-assisted contracts
• To ensure that the Program is narrowly tailored
  in accordance with applicable law
• To ensure that only firms that fully meet 49 CFR
  Part 26 eligibility standards are permitted to
  participate as DBEs

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PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

• To help remove barriers to the participation of
  DBEs in DOT-assisted contracts
• To assist the development of firms that can
  compete successfully in the marketplace outside
  the DBE program
• To provide appropriate flexibility to recipients
  of Federal financial assistance in establishing
  and providing opportunities for DBEs

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DBE ELIGIBILITY
U.S. Citizens and Lawful Residents that are
presumed to be or can show that they are Socially
and Economically Disadvantaged Pursuant to DOT
and Small Business Administration (SBA) Guidelines
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Ownership

• The Business must be 51 owned by a Socially and
  Economically Disadvantaged Individual.
• The Business must not be tied to another firm as
  such manner as to compromise its independence or
  control.
• The owner must have an overall understanding of,
  and managerial and technical competence and
  experience directly related to the type of
  business at issue.

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Ownership contd

• The ownership must be real, substantial,
  continuing. The owner must suffer the customary
  incidents of ownership and share the risks and
  profits.
• In the case of expertise contribution, the expert
  owner must have a significant financial
  investment in the firm, and the area of expertise
  must be indispensable.

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INCOME REQUIREMENTS

• Personal net worth not to exceed 750,000
  (excluding the applicants principal residence
  and interest in the firm)
• Must be a small business as defined by SBA
  Standards.
• Annual gross receipts cannot exceed 19.57
  millions in the previous three(3) fiscal years.
  This threshold will be adjusted annually for
  inflation.

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PROHIBITIONS

• Quotas
• Set-asides
• Local OR Geographical Preference

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MDT PROGRAM SUCCESS

• MDT is striving daily to ensure that every small
  firm in our community establishes a business
  relationship with our major contractors
• In addition to imposing an annual goal of 17 for
  participation by DBE, MDT carefully examines each
  contract to ensure that the maximum number of
  DBEs are participating

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MDT Program Success Contd

• MDT aims at strengthening the professional and
  technical capabilities of small businesses in our
  community, by investing in their growth through
  the MDTs DBE Outreach Project
• MDT is an economic partner to small businesses

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MDTs DBE OUTREACH PROGRAM

• PROGRAM OBJECTIVE
• To improve the competitive capacity of
  qualified local minority firms and increase their
  participation in MDT contracts by continually
  engaging, educating and informing them, while
  availing to them our expertise and internal
  knowledge of MDT contracting process and
  availability of opportunities

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MDTs DBE OUTREACH PROGRAM

• The integrity of the program depends to a large
  extent upon the establishment of systematic
  procedures to ensure that only bonafide small
  disadvantaged firms are certified to participate
  in Miami-Dade Transit Federally funded projects.

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MDTS DBE OUTREACH PROGRAM

• STRATEGIES
• Marketing
• trade fairs, expos, community forums
• Business Development
• facilitate access to bonding insurance
• financial management

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MDTS DBE OUTREACH PROGRAM

• STRATEGIES (Contd)
• Education
• provide workshops
• Partnering with local banks to assist with
  bonding, short term loan, and other form of
  financing.
• MDT Internal Contract Policies
• participate in pre-bid pre-solicitation post
  award and unbundling of large contracts, where
  feasible