The Oregon Department of Transportation is committed to prioritizing equity and inclusion and addressing systemic barriers to ensure all Oregonians benefit from transportation investments.
Purpose
The purpose of the Small Business Development Program is to identify transportation construction projects that are suitable for qualified small businesses to undertake as prime contractors, and to provide support and resources for successful delivery. Through this program, we will increase the ability, capacity, experience, and number of construction contractors doing business with ODOT.
Benefits
The Small Business Development Program will:
- Establish a race- and gender-neutral small business program for prime contracts.
- Award up to $25 Million of construction contracts to qualified small businesses annually.
- Identify public improvement contracts that are suitable for small construction businesses to undertake as prime contractor.
- Provide a repository of resources to assist qualified small businesses in preparing competitive bids that meet specifications.
- Designate staff who are familiar with the challenges that small businesses face in competing for public improvement contracts to provide support and assistance.
Background
ODOT spends hundreds of millions of dollars annually on projects and programs to improve the transportation system. These projects benefit the state’s construction, engineering, and supplier industries. However, systemic barriers often make it difficult for small businesses to compete successfully for ODOT contracts and gain experience working as a prime contractor.
While state and federal programs encourage equitable distribution of economic opportunities, there are gaps in the funding types or contract amounts in those programs. This means small businesses have limited opportunities to gain experience and capacity working on prime contracts with ODOT.
The Small Business Development Program is a new and innovative program that empowers small, underutilized businesses to compete successfully for ODOT contracts and gain valuable experience as prime contractors.