On Friday, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced $10 million in federal funding would be available to help minority-owned and women-owned businesses compete for federal highway contracts.
The funding from the 2021 Disadvantaged Business Enterprise/Supportive Services (DBE/SS) program would help eligible small businesses in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, compete, the FHWA said.
“With these funds, state transportation departments will help minority- and women-owned businesses across the country create jobs and better compete for resources for transportation projects nationwide,” said Deputy Federal Highway Administrator Stephanie Pollack.
Funding for the DBE/SS program for Fiscal Years 2022 through 2026 was provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Funding is provided to state DOTs, the FHWA said, who administer programs that provide training and assistance to DBEs to improve their ability to compete for the federally assisted contracts.
The agency defined a DBE as a for-profit, small business controlled by minorities, women, or other socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. A DBE may also be a corporation where one or more such individuals own one in 51 percent of the stock, the agency said.
The agency distributes DBE/SS funds based on statements of work submitted by State DOTs, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Territories. This year, FHWA received 48 submissions from 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Eight states and territories declined funding, which was redistributed amongst the remaining recipients.
Funding ranges from a low of $51,441 for the Virgin Islands to $1,007,924 for Texas.