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Best Practices for DBE’s

Best Practices for DBE’s. USDOT/FTA “DOORS” Program, Minneapolis, MN Roberto Cornelio, Great Lakes Region OSDBU/SBTRC. Best Practices for DBE’s. Are you ready to do business? Do you have the strongest possible foundation for your business that will enable you to perform and to grow?

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Best Practices for DBE’s

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  1. Best Practices for DBE’s USDOT/FTA “DOORS” Program, Minneapolis, MN Roberto Cornelio, Great Lakes Region OSDBU/SBTRC

  2. Best Practices for DBE’s • Are you ready to do business? • Do you have the strongest possible foundation for your business that will enable you to perform and to grow? • Have you done an objective assessment of your capacity? What size project can you really handle? • Do you have access to the capital that you will need to finance a project?Do you have a cash flow projection?

  3. Best Practices for DBE’s Are you ready to do business? • Do you have an operations plan that will allow you to seamlessly deliver on the project? • Do you have a plan to hire, train and retain the people that you will need to deliver on the project? • Do you have the internal infrastructure and capacity to ensure that all necessary paperwork required for payment will be completed and submitted on time to ensure you get paid? • Do you have an attorney who will help you read/understand/negotiate your contract?

  4. Best Practices for DBE’s • Are you staying ready? • Are you taking advantage of the various forms of free assistance that are available to you? • State DOT Supportive Services programs • SBA programs including Small Business Development Centers and SCORE • DOD’s Procurement Technical Assistance Centers • USDOT’s Small Business Transportation Resource Center • Chambers of Commerce and Business/Trade Associations programs

  5. Best Practices for DBE’s Are you staying ready? • Are you making sure that these assistance programs know what you really need to compete and be successful? • Are you making sure that procurement officials know who you are and what you can do? • Are you making adjustments/changing your strategy as you move forward?

  6. Winning the Bid • Are you getting frequent/timely information about upcoming opportunities? Longer term opportunities? Do you know where the money is being spent and where it will be spent? • Are you evaluating opportunities on an ongoing basis to ensure that they are consistent with your capacity? • Do you have boilerplate language for your bids and proposals?

  7. Winning the Bid • Do you know how the agency’s procurement process works? • Who reviews proposals? • Who makes recommendations? • Who makes the final decision? • Do any of these people know who you are? • Are there unique things in the procurement process that concern you? Are you recommending that changes be made?

  8. Winning the Bid • How do you find the Primes with whom to partner? • How do they find you? • Do you vet the Primes? • How do they vet you? • What kind of relationship do you try to build with the Primes? Are you a partner or a sub? Can you become a joint venture partner?

  9. Winning the Bid • Have you thought about teaming up with other DBE’s who have your or greater capacity? • Tried putting together your own “Dream Team”? • Finally, are you making plans for and getting ready for life after graduation?

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