Partnerships & Resources

BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS TO SUCCESS

An essential element of the Small Business Program is forging partnerships with businesses, agencies and community-based organizations that support individual, small business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (DVBE) growth and development.

The vision was to create an integrated Small Business Program, to benefit local and minority small businesses, based on public and private sector partnerships. Building partnerships is the critical step in obtaining significant small business and DVBE participation during construction on the Bay Area Toll Bridges; the key element of partnerships is building relationships to promote access, foster growth, and facilitate the transfer of technology.

This approach provides bidders, small businesses and DVBE contractors, vendors, suppliers and individuals in the skilled trades with resources to meet these important objectives while advancing participation on the Toll Bridge projects.

The effort to develop and implement the Program reflects the scope, scale and effort needed to construct a world-class bridge. The expertise of Program staff, the voluntary compliance by the prime contractors and the fact that the Program works as an extension of the prime contractor to alleviate impacts to their resources have been the most important factors in the successful participation of small businesses and DVBEs during construction. There has been a very positive response by small businesses, DVBEs and their advocates to the Program achievements.

Some additional facts:
• Small Businesses and DVBEs are performing essential elements of bridge construction
• The Program has established a strategic partnering model that is unique to capital construction projects and this structure is producing results
• Prime contractor involvement with subcontractor training is essential to success of small businesses
• The SBP works actively with prime contractor as a partnership to identify unobligated work in order to maximize small business and DVBE subcontracting opportunities

RESOURCES

The Alameda County Small Business Development Center works with Caltrans to help disadvantaged and small business construction and professional services firms, providing free or low-cost training and free one-on-one counseling to improve success in winning and performance on public works contracts.

City Build is an employment service program under the Workforce Development Division of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, which provides workforce training and job referral services to San Francisco residents interested in pursuing a career in the construction industry and assists contractors working on City Construction Projects with their local hiring obligations.

Cypress Mandela Training Center, located in Oakland, is a workforce development program, providing skilled trades training to men and women.

Oakland Private Industry Council provides accessible, high quality training and employment services to local residents and employers.

The Department of General Services – Procurement Division, Office of Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Services (OSDS) is the State's certifying agency that administers the Small Business and DVBE Certification Programs. Non-profit organizations and non-profit Veteran Service Associations receive registration upon application approval. In addition, the OSDS' Communications & Outreach section assists Small and Disabled Veteran businesses by participating in outreach events, providing resource guidance and supporting the businesses through advocacy.

State of California Procurement Division (PD) is the central purchasing authority for all California State departments, agencies, institutions, community colleges, technical institutes and boards of education. Each year the agency procures almost $10 billion of goods and services ranging from pencils to temporary labor.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Contact us at (510) 286-0974 or at smallbizconstruction@dot.ca.gov

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